On August 2nd, the HCPS school board met and voted 5-2 to lift mask mandates, declaring them optional for all students, staff, and visitors for the 21/22 school year.

The decision came after 20 + Henderson County residents were given the opportunity to voice their opinions about the subject. Only one resident there expressed being against the vote to remove mask mandates. Another resident who was for lifting the mask mandate compared said mandate to a form of genocide. Yes, you read that right. Genocide.

Meanwhile, all over the southeast, hospitalizations are already breaking pandemic records with the Delta surge. These patients are covid victims of all ages. Although death may not be as prevalent with the Delta variant, unnecessarily overwhelming hospitals with covid victims at this point is completely avoidable with mask mandates in place. It is crucial to act now before schools start and weather turns colder making a perfect thriving condition for germs.

Furthermore, taking away the mask mandates takes away most in-person school options for many. HCPS has announce there will be fully virtual options for their students, however the decisions has to be made by 8/9 to commit to the first half of the school year. Those who decide to virtual school, will be kept home again for another five months, because the few teachers who spoke at the school board meeting “want to see (their students) smile” or because one student with auditory processing disorder can’t learn with masks on (clear masks anyone)? An estimated 2-3% of children have auditory processing disorder, whereas more than 20% of students have learning disabilities. These 20% have suffered the most and thanks to this new decision, will continue to do so.

On August 2nd, 20 people pled the case for optional masks in schools, and swayed the school board to hear their unjust cries. There are approximately 13,500 students alone in HCPS. That means, less than 0.002% acted on behalf of 100% of our children and their teachers and faculty.

HCPS, in deciding to make masks optional, has gone against the recommendations of the CDC, plain and simple! But their masks mandates remained the same for bus riders. Why, you might ask? Because, they are “following recommendations from the CDC.” …

Please help me reverse this new “optional mask” rule, and keep our children, our families, our teachers, our neighbors, our county safe. Covid is by no means a common cold or the flu, nor should it be compared to or treated as such.

99.998% of us were not given a voice on this matter. It’s time to let them hear us. We have a very short amount of time to do so, as we were given one week to commit to five months of fully virtual school after the school board meeting. This is unjust and unfair.

Sign below and share share share! Thank you!

MAKE MASKS MANDATORY FOR ALL STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY AND VISITORS IN HCPS!!