GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Green Bay school district’s operations committee met last night to discuss plans in place for the fall.
A main concern for both parents and committee members is the district’s current policy on masking.
“I ask that you please consider making masking optional. We’ve been fighting this fight too long, and its optional in the rest of our worlds, in the rest of our everyday lives,” community member Brook Andrews said.
“I would just like to ask that you continue to follow CDC recommendations and the recommendations of all of the actual experts when it comes to how we should be handling this virus and how we should be protecting and keeping our children safe,” community member Bethe Lane said.
Currently, masks are optional outdoors for everyone.
In high school, masks are optional.
In middle school, masks are required where 6th graders are present.
In elementary, masks are required for everyone.
But some committee members feel this policy should be revisited.
“Every single reputable group, CDC, every professional group has strongly recommended universal masking. At some point, if our goal is to keep our kids in school, to get them there and keep them there, I feel like we need to consider that,” operations committee member Laura McCoy said.
Committee member Nancy Welch also brought up the possibility of vaccines for younger students.
“Hopefully, that could be done within a semester, the end of this year, beginning of next year, and then I’m still thinking still mask. Just because you want to keep the transmission down as low as you can so everybody can stay in school.”
The CESA 7 superintendents met recently, along with local healthcare representatives. Superintendent Stephen Murley says their recommendation was to move to full masking.
The next school board meeting is scheduled for September 13th.
