We the students of Edgewood would like to request a mask mandate, if not in the entire district, then at least in the high school. After 2 full weeks of school, there have been at least 64 positive cases in the high school alone, with at least 400 quarantines. Instead of taking the logical first step-- mandating masks-- when cases were on the rise, the district changed our schedule twice, confusing students and overwhelming teachers. 

Our teachers only see us one day a week, and we're losing key instructional time that will later reflect in our test scores. In the previous school year we lost several weeks of instruction due to unplanned hybrid learning, and AP teachers reported they saw the lowest pass rates of their careers.

Last year when masks were required, the high school wasn’t like this. The staff did not spend their entire day contact tracing, nor did the numbers get as bad as they have been after one full week of school. The record last year for the highest number of COVID cases reported in one day was five. We have broken that record at least three times.

Only 29% of Edgewood students are vaccinated while few are masking. Those who are not masking are causing dedicated students to miss out on crucial opportunities due to extracurriculars being cancelled and instructional time being halved.

It’s evident from last year’s numbers that masks work, and we have seen the student body won’t take the necessary actions to protect themselves and their peers. We plead, as members of the student body who are constantly exposed that the school board take action and enact a mask mandate.