We, the undersigned, demand our district allow families to choose whether or not they want their child to wear a mask to school.

We also demand that all discrimination against the unvaccinated (Covid vaccine) cease immediately!

Update: We wanted to add an update in the petition as circumstances have since changed.

On 1.10.22 our OCSB met and yet again decided to mask our kids. We all knew cases would rise from winter break. Prior to this they had set where they could mask require on a school by school basis. The argument was the rise in cases IN THE COMMUNITY. However, the CDC had since come out with concrete evidence that the only masks that work are N95’s. Our school board was all about the “science” last year… so what changed?! Just moments before the meeting the KY dept of health came out with new GUIDELINES for universal masked schools vs mask optional: masked schools did not have to: contact trace, quarantine nor test upon in school exposure. Masked optional would: still contact trace for a close contact exposure, quarantine and/or test to stay but from 7-10 days went to 5. They also RECOMMENDED only 5 days of isolation for a positive test. I stress the words guidelines and recommend because these are NOT in fact requirements nor mandates.

They met again 1.24.22 and yet again voted to keep the mask mandate. We had SEVERAL students, parents and even educators stand up and and even beg for mask optional. Fact after fact was laid before the board and instead we were ignored. The “power” was handed over to Dr. Radford, until the next meeting, to release the mask mandate. And since then… crickets.

All of our schools have continued indoor sporting events with no mask requirements. These same students jam packed in gyms are the same ones sitting, masked in a classroom. These same students are hanging out, outside of the school building, maskless. Where is the “science” here. When will they open their eyes and see these masks are doing far more harm than good. Our children’s mental health has severely declined. They need some normalcy in the classroom as learning has been proven to be hard enough, coming out of the shutdowns. It is time to just co-exist with this virus that is NOT going away. Stop the masking. Stop the mandates. Let us choose what is best for our children!

——————————————————————The Oldham County School board as well as the Oldham County Health Department is currently discriminating against their students as well as the majority of our community. 

Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. Our students are being discriminated against if they are unvaccinated.

One, this is and should be a parents choice. Other REQUIRED school vaccinations have been required for almost 100 years, however, these vaccinations have gone through rigorous trials, testing and most important of all, time. Some even up to 5-10 years! The covid vaccine has been pushed through for “emergency purposes” without the same testing as other, standard vaccines.

Two, vaccinated students are still able to get and carry the virus not to mention SPREAD! However, they are NOT required to test to stay nor quarantine unless they show symptoms. If an unvaccinated child is exposed they are either, required to quarantine for 10 days, have a negative test after 5 days of exposure and return on day 7 or be required to test to stay 5 of the 7 days (2 of the days will be weekend days) and all must be negative. 

Three, the cdc states that antibodies built by having had the virus can last up to 6 months. However, if a child is exposed after a 90 day period of testing/quarantine (because their test could still show positive) they are then treated like they are unvaccinated and have to jump through the above hoops. The built up antibodies should be treated the same as a vaccinated child. 

Finally, it seems as though we are being pushed to vaccinate our children or test them constantly. This virus has a 0.0-0.1% mortality rate in school aged children, across the United States! 

Will this be life as we know it for our children? When will it end? Covid will be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. We should stand for our children’s equity now more than ever! You have to start somewhere, let’s be the change!!