We are asking the Orono School District to require masks for students, staff and visitors.

Currently the Orono School District's policy "strongly recommends" wearing masks regardless of vaccination status. Having the potential for many unvaccinated children and staff unmasked is not following the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), MDH (Minnesota Department of Health), or AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommendations. This is particularly relevant in the K-5 setting which houses children who are not yet eligible for vaccinations. 

The CDC, MDH, and AAP have very clearly stated that their current recommendations for schools include universal masking:

CDC:  “CDC continues to recommend masking and physical distancing as key prevention strategies.”
MDH:  “Universal indoor masking is recommended for all people in the school setting (ages 2 years and older), including teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.
AAP:  “All students older than 2 years and all school staff should wear face masks at school (unless medical or developmental conditions prohibit use).”  “Schools must continue to take a multi-pronged, layered approach to protect students, teachers, and staff (ie, vaccination, universal mask use, ventilation, testing, quarantining, and cleaning and disinfecting).”
We should lean into the guidance from the medical community during a pandemic. This guidance has not changed or shifted to one of personal choice/inconsistent masking as a mitigation strategy – it very clearly recommends universal masking.  This cannot be achieved if each family is left to make their own decision regarding masking. In order to fully follow the CDC, MDH, and AAP recommendations the classroom needs to fully implement the policy. 

We must do everything we can to protect our children and mask policies are an easy way we can do so. The long-term impacts of COVID on children are unknown and wearing masks is a very simple way we can decrease the spread of COVID among our children. Reducing exposure in the classroom is imperative if we want to keep our children in school rather than distance learning.  We can all agree that children are better off being in school.

We are asking the Orono School District to require masks indoors and to follow the lead of other school districts like Wayzata and Minnetonka who recently announced they are requiring masks for students, staff and visitors for all K-8 schools.