"There is no significant evidence that the kind of masking (i.e. non-medical) that is common in schools is worth it."-Time.com

We, as parents and friends of White Memorial Weekday School children, aim to create a mask-optional learning environment for our children. North Carolina does not have a state-wide mask mandate and the DHHS Child Care Toolkit "recommends" that masks be put in place--there is no requirement. Furthermore, Mayor Baldwin's proclamation that Raleigh requires masks indoors does not apply to children under 5 years of age. 

We fortunately know much more about COVID-19 than we did two years ago. Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey (a state that plans to remove the state-wide mask mandate in March) correctly stated "We have to learn how to live with COVID as we move from a pandemic to an endemic phase of this virus."

There are plenty of scientific studies proving masks ineffective and unnecessary, but this is more than that. This is about parents, not the school, being able to make the best decision for their family.