Following multiple consecutive days of reported positive tests for COVID-19 exceeding ten students (twenty positive tests on September 1st, alone) at Lake Dallas High School, the student body and community of the Lake Dallas Independent School District wishes to appeal to the School Board and urge them to reconsider and reinstate the mandate for face coverings on district premises. 

The activities, education, and future of every single student in Lake Dallas ISD is dependent on the actions of our School Board. It is therefore incumbent upon these elected officials and community representatives to take measures which protect the interests, health, and safety of these students. 

Dozens of school districts across our state have reintroduced mask mandates, despite Governor Abbott's ban on the practice (the enforcement of which is no longer taking place, per the Texas Supreme Court), one of these being Denton ISD, our sister district. 

When addressing this petition, the following terms and conditions are submitted for the consideration of the School Board: 

     - A mask mandate for a minimum of one month (contingent upon trends for positivity rates)

     - UIL participation shall not be infringed upon unless recommended by the UIL/TEA/CDC or required by the county/state/federal government.

     - Student representation (STUCO Leadership, etc.) is requested during certain instances of deliberation.

At this stage in the pandemic, our nation is closer to one million deaths than it is to none. It is intolerable for us as a community to allow these numbers to persistently skyrocket as a result of our inaction. 

Through our exercise of free speech, the right to peaceful protest, and the right to petition our leaders for a redress of grievances, the Lake Dallas Falcons hereby call on the LDISD School Board to do the right thing, follow the science, and mask up. 600,000 deaths is 600,000 too many.

#NotOnOurWatch #BetterTogether #WeAreLD