Mask Mandates in schools
Mask Mandates in schools
The Issue
Dear Superintendents Ms. Stephanie S. Elizalde, Dr. Tom Leonard, Dr. Hafedh Azaiez, Dr. Douglas Killian, Mr. Bruce Gearing, Mr. Paul Norton, Mr. Darren Webb, Dr. Fred Brent, Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz, and Board of Trustees, Principal Crystal Lane and Principal Melissa Reeese,
We hope this letter finds you all doing well in these very hard and turbulent times. We appreciate all that you do for our school district and the education and safety of our children. These are unprecedented times; facing a pandemic that now has evolved into a real threat to the safety of our entire community, including our children. As Superintendent and Board of Trustee members, you all have an obligation to our entire school community to keep everyone safe. The data is clear that the position we are in now is much more dangerous than the 2020-2021 school year as the delta variant is over 50% more contagious and spreads with a shorter duration of exposure to the infected individual.
The most alarming change of all though is the devastating impact the new variant has had in our pediatric population. We have seen a huge uptick in hospital admissions in the young pediatric patients, for whom the vaccine is not available. Even one pediatric death is too heavy a cost when simple measures like mandated masking and social distancing, are effective. Right now, every child in the hospital is a stark reminder that all children are at risk, and it is our job as leaders in this community to make decisions based on science, facts, and public health
According to Austin Public Health, latest data shows that 16.2% of elementary school age, 17.5% of middle school children, and 27.9% of high school children tested positive for COVID-19. As we are in Stage 5, even fully vaccinated individuals are being asked to wear a mask in low risk indoor and outdoor settings and to avoid high risk indoor settings. We must protect our children, especially those under age 12 who are unable to receive a vaccination.
There is a way to keep our school community safe, particularly our students, by following the COVID 19 safety protocols which are backed by the science in peer-reviewed studies. All the major medical associations like the CDC (1) American Academy of Pediatrics (2), Texas Medical Association (3), Austin Public Health, WHO recommend these protocols. The recommendations are as follows:
Mandatory masking for all people on campus
COVID 19 screening and temperature checks. Failed screen should require the person to be removed from the campus and return back only after a doctor’s note.
Contact tracing for positive cases and mandatory quarantine for adequate periods for these cases and close contacts in accordance with CDC recommendations.
Adequate ventilation and social distancing, of at least 3 feet. This is particularly important for children served in self-contained classrooms whose class rooms are typically small in size with no windows or alternative ventilation.
We implore you to please use your offices to be part of the change needed to move our state in the right direction and towards effective public health. We all are looking to you as our elected leaders, to help us keep our children safe and out of the hospitals. Data is conclusive that second to universal vaccination, universal masking is the most effective way to keep this pandemic in control. Please don’t put your students, families, and employees at unnecessary risk. This is the time for clear leadership and guidelines as experts are predicting the worst stage of this pandemic is beginning now.
As physician parents in your community, we anticipate the adoption of universal masking in schools. Numerous other states and school districts have successfully adopted such policies and put the health and safety of their children as a top priority. We request and plead with all Austin area ISDs to do the same. This decision will have a lasting impact on our children and the way we proceed further as a society.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Physician parents in your community.
CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html
American Academy of Pediatrics COVID-19 Guidance for Schools
TMA Urges Masking, Vaccination as Delta Variant Spreads
https://www.texmed.org/TexasMedicineDetail.aspx?Pageid=46106&id=57447
The Issue
Dear Superintendents Ms. Stephanie S. Elizalde, Dr. Tom Leonard, Dr. Hafedh Azaiez, Dr. Douglas Killian, Mr. Bruce Gearing, Mr. Paul Norton, Mr. Darren Webb, Dr. Fred Brent, Dr. Holly Morris-Kuentz, and Board of Trustees, Principal Crystal Lane and Principal Melissa Reeese,
We hope this letter finds you all doing well in these very hard and turbulent times. We appreciate all that you do for our school district and the education and safety of our children. These are unprecedented times; facing a pandemic that now has evolved into a real threat to the safety of our entire community, including our children. As Superintendent and Board of Trustee members, you all have an obligation to our entire school community to keep everyone safe. The data is clear that the position we are in now is much more dangerous than the 2020-2021 school year as the delta variant is over 50% more contagious and spreads with a shorter duration of exposure to the infected individual.
The most alarming change of all though is the devastating impact the new variant has had in our pediatric population. We have seen a huge uptick in hospital admissions in the young pediatric patients, for whom the vaccine is not available. Even one pediatric death is too heavy a cost when simple measures like mandated masking and social distancing, are effective. Right now, every child in the hospital is a stark reminder that all children are at risk, and it is our job as leaders in this community to make decisions based on science, facts, and public health
According to Austin Public Health, latest data shows that 16.2% of elementary school age, 17.5% of middle school children, and 27.9% of high school children tested positive for COVID-19. As we are in Stage 5, even fully vaccinated individuals are being asked to wear a mask in low risk indoor and outdoor settings and to avoid high risk indoor settings. We must protect our children, especially those under age 12 who are unable to receive a vaccination.
There is a way to keep our school community safe, particularly our students, by following the COVID 19 safety protocols which are backed by the science in peer-reviewed studies. All the major medical associations like the CDC (1) American Academy of Pediatrics (2), Texas Medical Association (3), Austin Public Health, WHO recommend these protocols. The recommendations are as follows:
Mandatory masking for all people on campus
COVID 19 screening and temperature checks. Failed screen should require the person to be removed from the campus and return back only after a doctor’s note.
Contact tracing for positive cases and mandatory quarantine for adequate periods for these cases and close contacts in accordance with CDC recommendations.
Adequate ventilation and social distancing, of at least 3 feet. This is particularly important for children served in self-contained classrooms whose class rooms are typically small in size with no windows or alternative ventilation.
We implore you to please use your offices to be part of the change needed to move our state in the right direction and towards effective public health. We all are looking to you as our elected leaders, to help us keep our children safe and out of the hospitals. Data is conclusive that second to universal vaccination, universal masking is the most effective way to keep this pandemic in control. Please don’t put your students, families, and employees at unnecessary risk. This is the time for clear leadership and guidelines as experts are predicting the worst stage of this pandemic is beginning now.
As physician parents in your community, we anticipate the adoption of universal masking in schools. Numerous other states and school districts have successfully adopted such policies and put the health and safety of their children as a top priority. We request and plead with all Austin area ISDs to do the same. This decision will have a lasting impact on our children and the way we proceed further as a society.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Physician parents in your community.
CDC Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in Schools
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html
American Academy of Pediatrics COVID-19 Guidance for Schools
TMA Urges Masking, Vaccination as Delta Variant Spreads
https://www.texmed.org/TexasMedicineDetail.aspx?Pageid=46106&id=57447
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Petition created on August 6, 2021