Portland Public Schools sent out an email on March 4th, 2022 declaring that wearing a mask in school will be optional starting Monday March 14th, 2022. This will be extremely dangerous for the health and safety of the PPS community. The district has consistently ignored the safety concerns of parents, teachers and students. It is important that all the PPS students feel safe in their learning environment. PPS exists to bring education to all. We are calling for community support in our demands for increased safety measures around COVID 19 safety in schools.

This affects everyone within our community. Oregon has already experienced loss and suffering due to COVID 19. This virus has not been eradicated. It is vital for the district as a whole to support all students and families in order to maintain a safe and quality learning environment. Lifting the mask guidelines will increase COVID 19 cases creating many problems. As COVID 19 cases rise there will be a decrease in the quality of students' education. For example there is already a current substitute teacher shortage, teachers have been stretched thin, and schools can't afford to lose vital learning days. Furthermore, an increase in COVID 19 cases will increase student anxiety and fear. When students miss school due to COVID 19 or exposure it is hard to get back on track. This has furthered students anxieties around this issue. Many of us fear for our safety and the safety of our families. This will inhibit our learning potential. We deserve a safe and calm learning environment. 

Multnomah County has already seen the result of lifting mask mandates. During the summer of 2021 when mask mandates were temporarily lifted we saw a surge in COVID 19 cases and we once again went back to wearing masks. These problems and many others are likely to occur as a result of the mask mandates being lifted. Students should not have to face this alone. We demand increased safety measures from the district and a re-evaluation of the decision to lift masking guidelines in schools.