We, the community of Laurens County, GA are urging you to reconsider your position regarding mandating masks for our school district. We agree with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that in-person learning options are preferable to virtual for both the academic and social-developmental merits of children. However, these benefits will be vastly undermined if COVID-19 outbreaks continue to force disruption in our children’s education, all because universal masking has not been implemented.

Without universal masking, school outbreaks due to COVID-19 will be inevitable. Significant illness will spread to vulnerable populations in our community, and disruption to school attendance due to quarantines and school closures will ensue. Additionally we urge you to please consider the economic ramifications frequent school closures and/or quarantining the kids will have on Laurens County as parents stay home with elementary and middle school students. Laurens County School Board Members have an obligation to listen to and respond to the community’s concerns by prioritizing and providing a healthy and safe learning environment in our schools for all of our students, teachers, and staff.

We need to show that we prioritize health, safety, and in-person learning and that we follow the recommendations of medical and public health experts. How many more kids or school staff have to be exposed to this virus before the school board takes action? We implore you to please follow federal and professional guidelines and take action to curb this pandemic once and for all. The children in our community have missed out on enough, it’s time we as adults take action.