We are families who are concerned about our children’s lives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst the highly transmissible delta variant, Harris County’s positivity rate has surpassed 13% (https://COVID-harriscounty.hub.arcgis.com These detrimental rates are projected to continue to rise as our children return back to school. Since Texas schools are not required to wear face masks, our children and staff are at a heightened risk. Sending children back to school without sound mitigation measures in place could lead to even higher positivity rates, school closures, interruptions in education, long term COVID complications, higher hospitalizations rates, and increased deaths.

As of July 28,2021, the CDC recommends the following: “Guidance for Fully Vaccinated People”: “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, and visitors to school, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person schooling.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends: “universal masking because a significant portion of the student population is not yet eligible for vaccines, and masking is proven to reduce the transmission of the virus and to protect those who are not vaccinated.”

Current vaccines do not fully protect against the delta variant and fully vaccinated people can still transmit the virus. Children under 12 years of age are ineligible to receive the vaccine. In addition the vaccine hesitancy rate in Texas is high and lags behind many others in its rate of fully vaccinated individuals.

The best way to protect our children, teachers, staff and community is by mandatory universal masking in the school. Merely encouraging masking is insufficient and irresponsible.

CFISD board members, we urge you to advocate for these children and enforce a mask mandate in the schools and follow the footsteps of Dallas ISD, Austin ISD, and Houston ISD. No family should have to choose between a child’s health and education and no child should be left behind.