Parents speak out about mask policy

While Mountain Brook City Schools and Vestavia Hills City Schools have both seen similar numbers of students infected with COVID-19, despite the former implementing a mask mandate and the latter choosing to keep masks optional, though strongly recommended, Vestavia parent Lindsey Burks said she does not appreciate her child being in the control group to determine if a mask mandate is really necessary.

“Those numbers represent children,” Burks said. “I did not grant permission for my child to participate in a research study that would allow her to be in the control group with no intervention.”

Burks was one of 16 people who spoke to the Vestavia Hills Board of Education at their meeting on Aug. 23, held at Pizitz Middle School in anticipation of a large crowd.

In total, nine people urged the board to reverse their policy and institute universal masking in schools, while seven encouraged them to stick with the current operational plan.

Through Aug. 20, 126 students had reported being home due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in Vestavia Hills City Schools, representing 1.8% of the student population. Mountain Brook reported 78 positive cases from Aug. 16-20 and 48 cases during the first week of school.

The Vestavia Voice is waiting on a total number of cases in Mountain Brook City Schools, as it is unknown how many of the 78 cases from last week are students who tested positive the week before.

In light of the increasing number of children being hospitalized and coming down with COVID-19 throughout the state of Alabama and the nation, Burks questioned why the board was not following the recommendations of the Alabama Department of Public Health, along with other medical experts. On Aug. 23, Children’s Hospital released their recommendation for children to be masked in schools.

Brian Malcolm said the board “lost its courage to lead” during a divisive time, and said decisions must be guided by best practices, not politics.

Watts Ueltschey said he is aware of bullying taking place against students choosing to wear masks, and said the board needs to support them. Ueltschey, who spoke at the July meeting as well, urged the board to reconsider their decision.

“I don’t want to be here next month, but until I feel safety, I will continue,” Ueltschey said, while thanking the board for the steps they’ve already taken to make the schools safer.

Among those who spoke to the board encouraging them to stay the course was Jen Vachris.

“The board’s decision was correct then and it is correct now,” Vachris said. “It’s the school’s job to teach our children, and that’s it. They are not in charge of their health.”

Vachris said the cries for universal masking are “not about health.”

“They (masks) are a false sense of protection and honor,” Vachris said. “They are security blankets that make some adults somewhere feel better about a virus they can’t control, and they are a warm, moist place where bacteria (can) grow.”

Vachris said it’s important for children to be exposed to germs and sickness, in order to build up their immune system.

Monica Carroll told the board the right of parents to make decisions for their children does not end at the school doors and said parents who are against mask mandates are not anti-mask, but rather want the freedom to choose what is best for their child.

“A medical degree is not a prerequisite to parenting,” Carroll said.

Two local pediatricians spoke in favor of universal masking: Nancy Tofil, medical director of the pediatric simulation center at Children’s and Claudette Pool, associate program director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at UAB.

while another, Riley Livingston, said parents should have the right to choose what is best for their child. Livingston said masks can cause harm to children socially and provide a “false sense of comfort.”

“A year of mask wearing has scarred our children,” Livingston said.

Tofil said all masks, not just N95 masks, work, and should be used. Tofil said the Delta variant of COVID-19 is the “most infectious respiratory disease ever.”

Josh Boyd said the public is being “propagandized,” and said children are at less risk from COVID-19 than they are the flu, which Tofil followed by saying there have been no hospitalizations of children for flu in the last 17 months, due to mask mandates.

Anna Martha Corley said she is scared to send her daughter, who is visually impaired, to school due to her concerns over what COVID-19 would do to her. Her condition, she said, was caused by a viral infection, and she does not want to find out what would happen if her daughter was to have another viral infection such as COVID-19. Due to her condition, virtual school is obviously not an option, Corley said.

Elizabeth Swords said a mask mandate would stunt student’s social and emotional health, and said it is important for students to see faces.

“There is not a one size fits all approach,” Swords said.

Susan Rathmell, a clinical psychologist, said if the board “truly cares” for the children in their schools, they will follow ADPH guidelines and institute universal masking.

“Masks have not been shown to have a significant impact on mental health,” Rathmell said. “If you truly care about those in your charge … you will mask everyone in your schools, even if they hate you for it.”

Superintendent Todd Freeman told the board and the crowd he is paying attention to the emails and phone calls he receives from parents and said school leaders are doing a great job distancing students, cleaning and disinfecting classrooms and handling contact tracing. The Alabama Department of Public Health had previously agreed to perform contact tracing, but recently told school systems they did not have the capacity to do so. Freeman said VHCS nurses are handling contact tracing within the schools.

Freeman also said the schools are equipped with the highest-rated air filtration system possible, and said the schools are strongly encouraging mask-wearing, though some parents said more could be done to encourage students and staff to wear masks.

Additionally, Freeman said the school system is looking into providing COVID-19 testing for students and staff through the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Aimee Rainey told the board the school system is seeing more students struggle with inappropriate behavior, anxiety and lack of understanding of a school schedule, along with decreased stamina, since largely returning to in-person learning this school year. To counteract that, Rainey said the system is providing district-wide training for faculty and staff by their counselors, who are also available and meeting with students as needed. The school system has also increased their partnership with Impact Family Counseling, which is focusing on providing help specifically to elementary-level students.

While the school system does have a remote option, only 56 students throughout the system are enrolled in that option, Rainey said.

Rainey said thankfully, for students who have returned to in-person learning from the remote option, there do not appear to be significant gaps in their academic success.

In other business, the board approved a supplement schedule and a dual enrollment agreement with Jefferson State Community College.