Update: School district announces passing of ‘mask choice’ resolution
Update posted Feb. 24, 2022:
– The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District released a statement on Wednesday regarding the recently passed resolution allowing for “mask choice” for students. The statement is as follows:
Tonight our board of trustees passed Resolution 22-13. This resolution allows for mask choice for students in all settings in our schools beginning tomorrow, February 23, 2022. Students are allowed to choose not to wear a mask starting tomorrow. This resolution does not apply to staff or other adults on our campuses, as masks are still mandated in youth settings for adults and are part of the Cal-OSHA Temporary Emergency Procedure Standards. The key in the implementation of this resolution will be communication. We must make sure all students know that we accept their choice regarding wearing or not wearing a mask indoors. No one will be allowed to shame students for their choice. Per the Resolution, N95 Masks will be made available upon request at all sites for students and staff.
Please make sure to communicate kindness and acceptance to all students. Mask or no mask, we are all Paso Schools.
-Paso Schools
Students recently protested the mask mandate at Paso Robles High School.
Update posted 5:30 p.m., Feb. 23, 2022:
Trustees vote 5-2 in favor of lifting school mask mandates
– Following a student protest last week and feedback from parents and community members, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees voted on Tuesday night to remove all mask mandates for the district’s 6,900 students. The decision is not in accordance with the California Department of Public Health’s guidance.
Hunter Breese, a senior at Paso Robles High School, who helped organize last week’s protest said he was “very happy with the decision made by the school board on the mask requirements in Paso schools, due to the hard work of the students on campus. Hoping to see other schools around the county and state follow in our footsteps.”
Paso Robles joins California school districts in El Dorado and Roseville in dropping mask mandate enforcement. California school boards have been hesitant to act on this due to possible backlash from insurance companies that could lead to the cancellation of liability coverage. Paso Robles School Board Trustee Frank Triggs, recently added by the board to fill a vacancy, took on the insurance policy issue at the Tuesday night meeting. Triggs asked pointed questions to district staff intended to put the public and other board members at ease by illustrating the distinction between “loss of coverage,” and non-coverage of “individual claims.”
The school board had previously been publicly told by administrators, the board’s attorneys, and San Luis Obispo County staff that its insurance policy could be canceled. They were additionally counseled that individual board members possibly could be held personally liable.
These comments had a chilling effect on the board when it took up the matter of face masks last in November. Once the insurance component was dealt with by contacting the district’s insurance provider and several other insurers for perspective, it appeared the risk of insurance cancellation was overstated.
Trustee Dorian Baker, a teacher for 25 years in the district, who authored the successful resolution on mask choice commented, “I consider it our sacred obligation to protect our children…We gave it time because we were told these measures would be helpful.” Baker, in introducing the resolution, provided a long list of harm done to children by mandatory masking, including pointing to the cognitive decline observed in children and the drastic increase in referrals to speech pathologists.
Her resolution was modeled after a similar resolution that recently passed in Roseville, California.
Trustee Tim Gearhart, a former teacher’s union president, said, “Thank you. I have seen other areas of the question that I hadn’t seen before.” Gearhart nonetheless voted to keep students masked.
Trustee Triggs, read a letter from county supervisor Debbie Arnold in support of the motion to remove masks saying, “The resolution before you speaks to personal and parental choice.” Triggs also said, “For those who operate out of fear, in all due respect, maybe you should wear a mask.”
Trustee Chris Bausch, who supported the motion, said, “This has been two years of contradictions. Tonight we stand in favor of our students, their mental health, their emotional health…This bullying we heard of tonight must end.”
Trustee Dorian Baker, celebrating the victory for the students and pointing to the many layers of community participants involved in making the successful vote a reality commented, “This was an example of what needs to continue happening in America. Gone are the days when we can pay attention for a month, elect a few good people, and then walk away and hope for them to fight the fights. We need to elect good people, and then stay involved and help our representatives win the battles. That’s what happened last night.”
Original report 8 a.m., Feb. 23, 2022:
– At its Tuesday night meeting, the Paso Robles Joint Unified School Board approved a resolution for “mask choice.” The resolution will now allow parents to choose if their children wear masks in school, regardless of vaccination status, according to a report.
The resolution passed 5-2 and goes into effect immediately. Faculty and staff will still be required to wear masks at this time. The decision is not in accordance with the California Department of Public Health’s guidance.
A petition started on Change.org for “mask choice” at the district has garnered nearly 2,500 signatures. The petition was presented to board members, and students and parents spoke in favor of the resolution at the Tuesday night meeting.
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