HOCO parents want to end mask mandate

On Tuesday, May 11 at 1:00 p.m., the Houston County School Board held their monthly board meeting. Important items on the agenda were discussed including old business and new business topics, as well as future plans and events within Houston County schools.

The superintendent’s report, presented by Dr. Mark Scott, included important dates such as National School Nurse Day that was observed on Wednesday, May 12, and Mental Health Awareness Month observed throughout the month of May. Most board members were in agreement on the topics and several residents from Houston County were in attendance.

At the end of the meeting, time was set aside for anyone wanting to address the board. Three groups of parents wanted to address the board on the matter of children wearing masks in schools, and remaining in virtual learning for the upcoming school year.

The groups of parents had one person from their group speak in front of the board members. Kayci Unsworth, Joseph Neal Pope, Jr., and Seth Wheeler were the parents represented. They were each given three minutes to speak and they began with a prayer.

One parent, Wheeler, talked about how his daughter was quarantined while showing no signs of COVID and lost her good academic standing. “Studies show that the masks are creating psychological damage, especially among infants and children with devastating impacts on the cognitive development of children,” said Wheeler.

While the board delegated at the end of the meeting, several parents were still conversing outside about the topic at hand. It is understood by the parents that the cut-off date for enrolling students in virtual learning or in-person learning is May 13, while parents are still wondering if students will be wearing masks or not.

One gentleman, who identified himself as Dan Connolly said, “I don’t understand why we weren’t given an answer. This is an important matter that needs to be decided now, not in two weeks when it’s too late for them to enroll their kids.”

Another parent at the meeting, Holly Singleton, said, “I don’t agree with it … it’s detrimental to their health and their ability to learn. It’s been a year and we’ve learned and we need to move forward and away from all this.”

Many had handmade signs with phrases and pictures to support their case. One parent even designed a poster board with the different types of masks and face coverings used by adults and children alike to demonstrate the effectiveness of each. The parents were originally given five minutes to speak, but it was cut down to three minutes for each speaker.

HHJ News