It is extremely troubling to us that you have not issued a mandatory requirement for all K-12 children and teachers to wear a protective facemask while inside of all school facilities, or mandated social distancing in the classroom.  These are 2 of the most common and effective health mitigation strategies available to children under the age of 12 who are unable to be vaccinated.

As of 8/13/2021 more than 98% of US residents now live in an area with a “high” or “substantial” risk of Covid-19 community transmission — up from only 19% a month ago. Franklin County is classified as having a high transmission rate.

Our concern is for the safety of our children. If a mask mandate and social distancing strategy is not implemented, every child and adult is at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Without these policies in place, our children are also subject to missing 5 to 7 full days of school if they are identified as a contact to a positive case of COVID-19 at school. 

With a policy in place that mandates masking, social distancing with a minimum of 3 feet between students, and enhanced cleaning protocols,  all asymptomatic children could remain safely in normal in-person classroom settings and participate in extracurricular activities, even if exposed to a positive case.

We strongly urge you to issue mandates for indoor masking and social distancing. We want our children to learn and thrive at school - but we want to ensure their safety most of all.