Hello, all,

We've got lots of signatures - 453 health care providers have signed this petition, and 1,049 community members have signed that petition!

Unfortunately, although my understanding is that ICCSD School Board met in closed session on Tuesday night, no mask requirement has been announced. 

We're considering delivering the printed list of signatures to the ICCSD admin building at 12:30 on Friday, and doing a Sit-in for Safe Schools on the public sidewalk outside the building on Sunday at noon or Tuesday night during the school board meeting if no requirement has been announced by then. 

Are you in? Can you help organize? Could you attend an online meeting at 7 PM Thursday to plan? If so, please email ICProtectKidsCommunity@gmail.com. (We'll get back to you ASAP, but please be patient and kind if we're a bit slow, and watch this space for updates -- we're all volunteers with day jobs and family commitments)

This encouraging news (apologies if this Washington Post article is behind a paywall, details below) came out yesterday regarding federal Department of Education action:

Two important points here :

1. This movement is spreading: “In Florida, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the fourth largest district in the country, on Wednesday passed a universal masking mandate — with only a medical opt-out — as did Hillsborough County Public Schools ."

2. And President Biden said, “ . . . I’m directing the secretary of education to take additional steps to protect our children,” Biden said. “This includes using all of his oversight authorities and legal action if appropriate against governors who are trying to block and intimidate local schools officials and educators.”

Here’s the letter to Governor Reynolds from DOE: The letter reads, in part, “We are aware that Iowa has enacted a State law prohibiting local educational agencies (LEAs) from adopting requirements for the universal wearing of masks.1 This State level action against science-based strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19 appears to restrict the development of local health and safety policies and is at odds with the school district planning process embodied in the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) interim final requirements. As you know, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act) requires each LEA that receives Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds to adopt a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services. (See section 2001(i).) The Department’s interim final requirements clarify that such plan “must describe…how [the LEA] will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC…” The safety recommendations include “universal and correct wearing of masks.” The Department is concerned that Iowa’s actions could limit each LEA’s ability under the ARP Act to adopt a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services that the LEA determines adequately protects students and educators by following CDC guidance. The Department stands with the dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction.

THANK YOU for your commitment to reducing infection, illness, and death from COVID-19 in our community.