El Dorado residents share thoughts on masks at school board meeting
Editor’s note: Because the NewsTimes wishes to share statements from everyone who spoke at Monday’s meeting, this story will be published in two parts. The second part will appear in the Thursday, September 2, edition.
The El Dorado School Board held a special meeting Monday evening, where members of the community were given the opportunity to give their thoughts on masks in schools.
In a 4-3 vote, the school board implemented a universal mask policy on August 11 for students, staff, faculty and visitors on district properties.
While no action was taken at Monday’s meeting, those who attended spoke passionately about their viewpoints.
Packed house
On Monday, the school board and local residents met in El Dorado High School’s Auditorium, which seats thousands and which was mostly full with local residents.
The meeting opened at 5:30 p.m., and those who wished to speak were given a 15-minute sign-up period.
At 5:45, Superintendent Jim Tucker began calling those who signed up to two microphones at the front of the theater, alternating between speakers advocating “for” and “against” masks.
Several teachers and school administrators joined members of the community to speak in favor of masking at school, as did one EHamasked correctly come into contact and one tests positive for the virus, the other student does not have to quarantine, whereas if only one or neither was masked, they would); the emotional toll having to quarantine or isolate has on students; and the financial difficulties many families would face if their child had to quarantine repeatedly.
Two parents who spoke “against” mask mandates noted that they have children with neurological disorders that make wearing a mask difficult in ways that could impact their ability to learn. Others also said that young students learning phonics may have a hard time learning about the mouth shapes needed to make different sounds. Many spoke about the freedoms guaranteed American citizens.
Everyone who spoke was given a three-minute time limit to make their argument. On one occasion, Tucker asked the audience to treat the person speaking with respect after a woman speaking “for” masks was heckled.
‘For’ and ‘against’
Below are some of the statements made by local residents in favor of and against masks in schools.
The Rev. D.L. Hegler spoke in favor of masks, citing times he’s had to comfort those dying of COVID or families grieving after a loss caused by the virus as reasons to continue to require them at school.
“I don’t like the fact that I have grandchildren that’s in the school system that don’t have the option of not wearing a mask because they do have underlying issues, and if they are in that percentage (of children who die from COVID) … when I’ve had to talk with parents, be there and comfort them, when they had to bury their child that was in that very small percentage, it didn’t matter what the statistics said, because that one for them was 100%,” Hegler said.
Luke Baston, who said he has a child in the district, said a teacher he’d spoken to said she was afraid to speak out against masks. He said the teacher, who he didn’t name, told him students did not wear their masks correctly; that teachers’ masks slipped off throughout the day; that students lose their masks often and the masks are regularly dirty; and that children had trouble reading aloud and breathing in the masks.
“I do not support the fact that the educational school board is given the ability to make medical and health decisions for my daughter. I do, however, support a parent’s right to choose what is best for their child in all aspects,” Baston said. “I’m here to advocate for our rights as parents. Furthermore, I’m here to advocate on behalf of El Dorado school teachers that share my views.”
Jana Powell, an EHS senior who said she is taking four Advanced Placement and two college classes, said she supports masks in schools because they help to prevent mass quarantines that require students to learn virtually. She was quarantined for two weeks during the previous school year, she said, and fell behind. Jana noted that she is the daughter of Melissa Powell, assistant superintendent for the district, who she said asked her not to speak at the meeting.
“I hate wearing this mask as much as anyone else does, but I would hate it more to be lying at home and trying to do all four of these AP classes and college classes and trying to do the work at home. Being in class is more important,” Jana said. “When I’m at home, it’s so hard to try to learn that material. … If I wanted to learn virtually, I would have signed up virtually. I want to be in school. Even though I hate these masks, it’s better than being at home trying to learn this hard material and getting to where I want to be in life and going to college.”
Clint Meadows, who said he is a father of two ESD students, spoke against masks, quoting statements made by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infection, before the CDC began recommending masks. Meadows said both of his children had been “sentenced” to quarantine after removing their masks to eat lunch and practice cheerleading at school.
“They wore their masks seven hours a day, covering their faces; breathing less oxygen, more CO2 (carbon dioxide); taking away their facial expressions, teachers couldn’t see whether they were happy, mad or sad. We were told ‘follow these rules, and your children will not have to quarantine,’” Meadows said. “When rules don’t make sense and don’t follow logic, there will always be exceptions.”
Morgan Atkins, the district’s athletic trainer and sports medicine teacher, spoke in favor of masks, citing the emotional toll long-term quarantine has on children. She said in the past year, she’s attended funerals for three students who killed themselves because of the isolation of quarantine. She cried as she spoke.
“When I realized that we were going to have to wear masks this year, I was probably one of the most disappointed people, because I don’t like these things - I don’t like how they give me acne, I don’t like how I have to breathe in them, I don’t like how I have to wear them during practice. But somebody told me, ‘We get to have our kids back in school if we’ll wear the masks,’” Atkins said. “During the year we were in quarantine, I buried three students … who took their own lives because they were in quarantine … The bottom line is if this is the thing that we’re fighting about, we need to put that somewhere else, because a kid’s life is more important than this mask, and I don’t want to bury another kid because they don’t have anywhere to go, because they’re stuck at home.”
Karen Dunn, a mother of four, said she took her two youngest children out of the El Dorado School District due to the mask mandate, giving up the Promise scholarship as a result. She also became emotional as she spoke, calling masks “child abuse.”
“I could not imagine sending them to school in a mask for a single day. The mandate was bizarre: masks inhibit breathing, do not stop viruses, encourage sickness, propagate fear, are used to break spirits and to torture,” Dunn said. “These masks cause horrific psychological damage. … I have had the pleasure of witnessing amazing teachers … brilliantly navigate the subtle needs of each individual child — students who would never find the words or the courage to speak their needs, because as humans, we don’t have to.”
Sherry Hill, the principal of EHS, spoke in favor of masks, citing data from medical institutions like the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University and children’s’ hospitals across the country, as proof masks help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. She also noted that 166 students in virtual school in the 2020/2021 school year failed 385 classes, emphasizing the need for in-person learning. She also noted the danger of the delta variant of the virus, saying that already 10 students at EHS have tested positive for COVID-19, versus zero in the first two weeks of school last year.
“You often hear parents talk about having the right to choose, and they should in many, many instances; but when it comes to their choosing affecting someone else’s child, that’s when we have to look at something other than their choice,” she said. “There’s a lot of research about what has happened with quarantining — the isolation students have felt; and there’s also information about grades and how students have failed academically. … Our responsibility is to choose what we think will be the least negative impact to the most children. You (school board members) have the responsibility of looking out for the health and safety for all of our students and teachers. Most parents don’t ever have that responsibility.”
Christy Wheeler, a mother of three in the district, said her youngest child has a sensory disorder that limits her ability to wear a mask, and since she is required to, has seen negative impacts emotionally and socially.
“She only tolerates certain textures and having a binding piece of material on her face for over seven hours a day is hindering to her. … If they are bound by a piece of material covering their face and nose, it creates anxiety and overwhelms their central nervous system, which, then, it becomes distracting and she can’t concentrate,” she said. “We are actually headed to the doctor tomorrow due to the headaches and breathing problems caused by wearing masks since school started.”
Melissa Powell spoke for masks, discussing how some families cannot take paid time off work, or might even endanger their jobs, when they have to take off to stay home with a quarantined child.
“I want you to consider families in our community who have jobs who simply do not get paid when they are unable to work, requiring them to lose part of their livelihood when their child is quarantined; families who will do without necessities when they do not receive a full pay check; families who will have to decide what bill will go unpaid; families who have to decide to expose other, often more vulnerable family members, like grandparents to COVID-19, because they don’t need to take off work; families that are worried about losing their job because of absenteeism; and families who have to decide if they should leave their young child at home alone or risk losing their job, making them unable to work, ultimately making them unable to provide for their family,” Powell said. “There is no doubt that under CDC guidelines, fewer students will be quarantined when a school has a mask requirement.”
Lorraine Murtha said she believed the CDC has not backed up with evidence its suggestion that children in schools wear masks.
“Fear is a powerful emotion and a dangerous political weapon. It allows the fearful to claim the virtues of charity and wisdom while it shuts down debate and separates reason from truth,” she said. “This battle for truth is being fought in school districts across the country and is waged against a host of morally bankrupt ideologies. … It is not my child’s responsibility to wear your security blanket over their face. … I urge board members to stop prostituting my child’s well-being and my parental rights to the ruling class in Washington who promise federal dollars.”
Tucker called the meeting to a close at 7 p.m. after everyone who signed up had the opportunity to speak.
See more from the meeting in tomorrow’s edition.