Dear Southern Lehigh School Board,

We, parents of Southern Lehigh School District, are extremely concerned about the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19, especially for age ranges which cannot yet be vaccinated. Specifically, we are concerned about the unprecedented rise in pediatric ICU hospitalizations. 

SLSD’s current health and safety plan specifically states that SLSD will follow CDC guidance. So that means universal masking. The Center for Disease Control “recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.” The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends “that everyone older than age 2 wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.” We humbly request that SLSD follow the medical experts’ recommendations. At a minimum, our K-6 schools should require masking to protect children who do not yet have access to a vaccine. The World Health Organization also still supports masking as a part of their “Do It All!” approach to keeping community spread low. 

Our goal is to keep kids safely in school. School districts in Mississippi and Florida without mask mandates have been forced to return to virtual learning or quarantine students due to outbreaks of COVID-19. We wish to prevent a similar situation in our school district.

As the world resumes pre-pandemic travel and large events, we cannot forget that Southern Lehigh is not isolated and plays a greater role in ending a world wide health crisis.

Preventing the spread of Covid-19 with a multi-layered approach (vaccinations, masking, ventilation, etc.) allows more students to safely return to the classroom. School policies should adjust to align with current guidance regarding ways to prevent infections and keep children in the classroom.

We want our students to regain optimal learning environments this year and we want them to remain as safe as possible. The pandemic is ever changing, but it is not over. As science works to advise us through the roll out of vaccines and the emergence of new variants, we need to remain flexible and focused on the well-being of the whole community. Please follow the current guidance and require masking to begin the school year.

The undersigned affirm that we are parents in the SLSD and we implore you to issue a mask mandate in SLSD school this 2021-2022 school year.