It's been a long pandemic. All of us have sacrificed to keep our families safe. We have stayed home with our kids as they learned online, and made sure they wore masks and washed their hands when they went out of the house. For those fortunate enough, vaccines mean there's a light at the end of the tunnel. But for our children too young to get vaccinated yet, the pandemic is not over. The only real protection they will have at school this fall is masks.

This month, the Sycamore Community School Board will meet to vote on plans for the 2021-22 school year, including how to keep our children safe when they all return to in-person learning this fall. While students 12 and older can get vaccinated, children under 12 cannot. According to the CDC guidance on K-12 Schools, the CDC "recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status." This is in-line with the current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Ohio Department of Health. We ask that the school board affirm this guidance and mandate masks for all students -- especially those under 12.

This is not a political or freedom-of-choice issue. Sycamore already requires our kids to wear shoes, shirts, pants, and skirts to school. Students can't bring weapons or wear shirts with profanities on them, and no one seems to argue about that. Mandating masks is the one thing we can do to protect our children until vaccines are available for everyone. Don't let the sacrifices we've made over the last year-and-a-half be in vain by failing our children just as the end is near. The well-being of our children depends on it. 

Keeping our kids safe is not optional. Please help us protect our children by keeping masks in school and sign this petition.