In a public school system it should be our right as parents to make the choice whether our children should wear a mask or not. The school board should take in consideration that wearing a mask is not mandatory in our government. So why should it be in our schools?       
         There are so many things a child has to worry about these days when going to school. Why should wearing a mask be one of the many burdens they carry?If there is a choice in receiving the vaccination then why not choosing to wear a mask? The children are already protected by plexiglass, 6ft rule, no groups going into restrooms,contact tracing, pre packaged food in cafeteria, extra sanitation methods, temperature and illness checks as the students and staff come into school . If we require all of these safety measures, then why not make wearing a mask a parent’s choice?

        With the COVID-19 vaccine widely available, COVID-19 is no longer a health emergency in our state. Please consider signing this petition for the right to choose for ourselves and our children to wear a mask for the rest of the school year for Knox county schools.