Recently, Jefferson County Public Schools reinstated universal masking due to CDC guidelines on case rate responses and the Kentucky Department of Public Health's compliance with these guidelines. We are petitioning JCPS: Do not comply with KDPH's recommendations to universally mask our children in schools. The CDC needs to change its guidelines, not the way our children live. 

We know empirically that:

• COVID-19 is here to stay.
• Universal masking is ineffective at preventing the spread of COVID-19.
• The negative impacts (developmental, emotional) of universally masking children outweigh the benefits.
• Children are not at serious risk from COVID-19.
• All adults and school age children have been eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine if they choose.

It is beyond time to end universal masking of children as a response to COVID-19. No more of these ineffective, harmful policies for our children. 

THERE IS TIME to end these mandates before school starts. Even when Jefferson County is no longer in the "red", we should not have the threat of masks mandates returning when the local level could rise again.

At the beginning of COVID-19, masks seemed like a reasonable idea, but we did not have the data we have now that shows that cloth masks do not work, and masks do indeed harm children. We have two years of data. Ignoring the data we now have is inexcusable. MAKE MASKS OPTIONAL.

Most (if not all) other districts in our state have not reinstated masks. JCPS should not refuse to evolve as the other districts have.

These leaders and board members at JCPS are who we entrust with our children's education. If they refuse to learn and grow and make educated decisions for our children based on the data we now have, something is deeply, fundamentally wrong. 

Contact the office of the Superintendent:

Dr. Marty Pollio at (502) 485-3251

and the board members to help voice support for ending the mask mandates:

Diane Porter District 1: (502) 485-3566, porterschoolboard@gmail.com

Dr. Chris Kolb District 2: (502) 403-7213, chris@kolbforschoolboard.com

James Craig District 3: (502) 485-3566, james.craig@jefferson.kyschools.us

Joseph Marshall District 4: (502) 485-3566, joseph.marshall2@jefferson.kyschools.us

Linda Duncan District 5: (502) 361-5973, lindadduncan@live.com

Corrie Shull District 6: (502) 619-2292, corrie.shull@jefferson.kyschools.us

Sarah McIntosh District 7: (502) 485-3566, sarah.mcintosh@jefferson.kyschools.us 

 

WHAT HAPPENED TO HB-51? 

What stopped HB-51?