Call Me Cautious: West Ada School District’s Mask Guidelines Make Me Uneasy

I can't believe we are quickly approaching another school year where masks requirements are a topic of debate. This is so 2020. And I hate it. But the fact of the matter is, Covid-19 has not been eradicated. In fact, new variant strains such as Delta and Lambda are spreading. The CDC has been giving all kinds of ever changing masking recommendations leaving everyone to figure out what the heck we should be doing.

West Ada School district has sent an email to parents sharing that as of right now they will not require the use of masks inside the classroom moving into the new school year. They are simply recommended. The email continues, " We are committed to making decisions regarding the need for increased preventative and mitigating measures by utilizing data regarding Covid-19 cases, community spread, and trends on a school by school, and classroom by classroom basis."

Wouldn't it be better to nip it in the bud and just require masks to begin with and then scale back once Covid-19 cases (variant or otherwise) trend downward again? Of course that's just my opinion. And opinions are like...opinions. We all have one. Or several. And they often clash. And cause contention and turmoil. But I'm open to hearing the opinions of other parents sending their children to school in West Ada County.

Personally I am going to send my kid to school masked up. There is the Virtual School House option still at play and if cases continue to rise that may be the move for me. I just hate for kids not to be in person learning if that's how they thrive. Lots to consider. Where do you land on this issue?