Dear. Dr. Van Riley, Mrs. Butler, and members of the Stonington Board of Education,

We write to you and stand with a unified voice pleading for immediate change for our children. We are looking for the Board to be the leaders they are and use the powers they have to make the right decision, enact a unified district for all and allow the masking of our children to be a choice. A choice that should not be contingent upon vaccination status. 

As two years of data have conclusively shown, children remain the least at risk for severe COVID complications, and yet have continued to bear a disproportionate amount of restrictions.  When first initiated in the short term, these disruptions were necessary as we acquired data on this novel virus.  However, we have many more tools available in 2022 than we did in 2020, and our policies must shift to reflect these advances. After our children have experienced nearly two years of disrupted life, it’s time for us to give them back their childhood. 

As a first step towards normalcy, if the state shifts decisions regarding school mask mandates to a local level, we are calling on the Board to vote for individual mask choice immediately.

As concerned parents and community members, we are asking for you to do everything within your power to help immediately restore normalcy in our children’s lives. We are demanding, we are begging and pleading, to get our children’s childhood and education back. Enough is enough. Please do the right thing. 

Sincerely, 

Stonington Residents United 

For the full Letter with links to data use this link

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ey4i0MW7ifLaqKvDOyja6epbtwKTuq6vT_LL6kjf3Kc/edit?usp=sharing