At the Lakeland School Board work session this evening (August 2, 2021) board members had a spirited discussion about a mask mandate and other COVID 19 protocols. The agenda item was sponsored by board member Deborah Thomas who spoke in favor of requiring a mask for children and staff. There was also one public comment from Mr. Peter Edmiston, a Lakeland resident with two children at Lakeland Elementary School, who was in favor of a required mask mandate. Currently, masks will be optional when school starts next week and the school system hopes to provide a normal school year for Lakeland children.
Mrs. Thomas told the board that everyone wants the same thing, which is 5 days a week of in person classroom instruction, but the school system needs to do more. “We aren’t being proactive and protecting our kids the best way we can,” Mrs. Thomas said. She told the board cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 is spreading and that “we have to respect this virus’s ability.” She noted that her 13 year old son is vaccinated but those under 12 are not eligible at this time.
Board member Jeremy Burnett thanked Mrs. Thomas for bringing the matter up for discussion, but respectfully disagreed on a mask mandate. Mr. Burnett told Lakeland Currents it’s a decision that should be left up to parents, but said we have good people in charge to help monitor the situation. “I trust our Superintendent and administration to pivot if they feel like it’s needed,” Mr. Burnett said.
Board member Michelle Childs also disagreed with a mandatory mask mandate saying the data shows children are not severely affected by the COVID virus. She stressed that if a parent chooses to send their child to school in a mask they will be fully supported. “We want every student to be safe and feel safe whether they’re wearing a mask or not,” Mrs. Childs said.
The topic of cleaning protocols and contact tracing also came up as part of the protocol discussion. Board member Laura Harrison asked Superintendent Dr. Ted Horrell if the strict cleaning protocols put in place last year would continue this school year. “We intend to move forward with the enhanced cleaning protocols that we learned last year,” Dr. Horrell said. He also stressed that contact tracing would still be in effect and that students could be excluded from school in the instance they were within 6 feet (for 15 minutes) of someone with a positive case. That exclusion would last 10 days unless a negative case comes back after day 6. Dr. Horrell made sure the board understood that exclusion would not matter if the student was wearing a mask or not. “If you are within 6 feet of a positive case, mask or no mask, you still must be excluded from school,” the Superintendent said.
Mrs. Harrison was also against a required mask mandate, but said parents should be comfortable to talk to their child’s teachers about what’s best for their student.
When contacted, Mrs. Deborah Thomas said she did not expect to move forward asking for an official vote at next week’s board meeting for a required mask mandate. She stated there are still a lot of questions to be answered though, saying “with Shelby County’s current infection rate, I don’t think ‘optional’ is going to work for very long,” adding “lot’s of people are very concerned.”
It was reported earlier today in the Tennessean newspaper, that Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said he would ask Governor Bill Lee for a special legislative session if school districts mandate masks in schools. Governor Lee has been on record that masks should be a parental decision.
