Parens lined up to ask the Marion County School Board to make masks optional for the upcoming school year.
Although the board will not make the decision until later this summer, multiple parents took the opportunity during Tuesday’s meeting of the Marion County School Board to voice their concerns.
“Passing a one-size fits all mask mandate would not be in keeping with this board’s commitment to serving our community,” said Lindsey Ardmore, who presented the board with a petition signed by 113 parents.
Ardmore recommended that the board leave it to individual families to determine their own response, suggesting that parents don’t havre too “be mandated to take care of themselves and their families.”
She went on to suggest that teachers not in support of optional masks should consider changing professions.
“As a daughter, granddaughter, and sister of educators I feel that it is important to note that teachers should not put themselves at risk. If they are truly uncomfortable coming to school at this point after vaccinations have been made available and they don’t want to wear a shield or face mask for protection, then maybe this profession isn’t right for them,” said Ardmore.
Although many of the parents spoke passionately about the mental and emotional effects they believed masks were having on their children, some went as far as to illustrate their points with drastic comparisons.
One parent went as far as to suggest that masking was a way of emulating “communism,” was a form of “child abuse,” and wondered “how they got children in Germany to punish Jews.”
“This is a business meeting folks, so let’s maintain decorum please,” said Chair Nancy Thrower after the comments.
Parents alluded to teachers and administrators lack of consistency in enforcing proper use of masks, suggesting that children were touching their faces, touching the masks, and putting the masks on dirty surfaces.
If you would like to share your opinions with the board about the mask policy for the upcoming school year, visit an upcoming meeting. The Marion County School Board meets twice monthly on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. at the School Board Meeting room, located at 512 SE 3rd Street in Ocala.