[00:00:03]
GOOD MORNING, I'M DAVID STOLLE, BOARD PRESIDENT AND PRESIDING OFFICER, DUE TO
[1. CALL TO ORDER: 8:00 AM]
THE REASONABLY UNFORESEEABLE SITUATION ASSOCIATED WITH RECENT UPDATES REGARDING THE ONGOING PANDEMIC OF COVID 19, AN EMERGENCY OR URGENT PUBLIC NECESSITY EXISTS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE DELIBERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION BY THE BOARD OF PLANO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES THEREBY DECLARE THE NEED FOR THIS EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE PLANO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON AUGUST 23, 2021, PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION FIVE FIVE ONE ZERO FOUR FIVE NOTING THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT.
FOLKS, AS YOU AS YOU COME INTO THE ROOM, IF YOU COULD PLEASE STOP TALKING SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN ORDERLY MEETING.
AS AN INITIAL MATTER, LET ME ESTABLISH WHY WE HAVE GATHERED ON A MONDAY MORNING AT EIGHT A.M..
ON JULY 29TH, 2021, GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT ISSUED EXECUTIVE ORDER GA38, WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PROHIBITS SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM ISSUING MASK MANDATES.
LAST WEEK, A TEXAS JUDGE IN TRAVIS COUNTY ISSUED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER PREVENTING GOV.
ABBOTT FROM ENFORCING GA38, AGAINST SCHOOL DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY.
LATE THURSDAY, THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT DENIED AN APPEAL BY GOV.
ABBOTT OF THE TRO RENDERING GA38, UNENFORCEABLE RELATIVE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS PENDING A FULL AND FINAL DETERMINATION BY THE COURTS.
UPON SUCH RULING, THIS BOARD SET IN MOTION A PLAN TO DISCUSS MASK MANDATES IN A PUBLIC MEETING DUE TO TRAVEL SCHEDULES AND SCHEDULING CONFLICTS BETWEEN FRIDAY AND TODAY, MONDAY AT EIGHT A.M.
WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO MEET AS A GROUP.
UNDER TEXAS LAW, A SCHOOL BOARD CAN CALL AN EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING WITH NOT LESS THAN ONE HOUR'S NOTICE.
THIS BOARD, HOWEVER, DID NOT WANT TO CALL ANY MEETING ON TOPIC LIKE THIS WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT NOTICE TO OUR FAMILIES.
ACCORDINGLY, WE POSTED THE NOTICE FOR THIS MEETING ON FRIDAY AND ARE NOW READY TO PROCEED .
ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF, I WISH TO WELCOME OUR VIEWERS AND ALL WHO ARE PRESENT WITH US THIS MORNING.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY FELLOW TRUSTEES AND STAFF SEATED AT THE DAIS, SEATED TO MY LEFT, SARA BONSER, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, DR.
THERESA WILLIAMS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, TRUSTEE ANGELA POWELL, TRUSTEE, DR.
LAUREN TYRA AND SECRETARY JERI CHAMBERS.
SEATED TO MY RIGHT, VICE PRESIDENT NANCY HUMPHREY, TRUSTEE CODY WEAVER, RANDY MCDOWELL, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, PATRICK TANNER, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.
KATRINA HASLEY, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR ACADEMIC SERVICES.
DR. COURTNEY GOBER, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR STUDENT, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES, DR. LINDA ANDERSON, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND DISTRICT SERVICES, DR.
BETH BROCKMAN, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR EMPLOYEE SERVICES, AND SHARON NOWAK, ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
AT THIS TIME, I ASK SUPERINTENDENT BONSER TO VERIFY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT REGARDING THE NOTICE FOR THIS MEETING.
I VERIFIED THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POST INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
OK, SO LET ME EXPLAIN THE ORDER OF THE DAY SO THAT EVERYBODY IS FULLY AWARE, THE BOARD IS GOING TO GO IN A CLOSED SESSION FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO CONSULT WITH OUR LEGAL COUNSEL.
WE WILL COME OUT OF CLOSED SESSION AND WE WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE HAVE 80 WE HAVE 90 PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS.
PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE PER PERSON THAT AS YOU CAN DO MATH, IT'S GOING TO TAKE US A COUPLE OF HOURS TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT, THE BOARD WILL AGAIN CONVENE IN CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS ANY ADDITIONAL LEGAL MATTERS RAISED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND THEN AFTER THAT CLOSED SESSION, WE WILL COME OUT AND WE WILL HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING EXECUTIVE ORDER GA38.
WHEN WE COME BACK, I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE US FOR THE FIRST CLOSED SESSION.
WHEN WE COME BACK AND BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT, YOU MUST BE HERE TO SPEAK.
WE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS AGO, WE GAVE PEOPLE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY WERE NOT HERE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
YOU'LL HAVE YOUR NAME WILL BE CALLED, IF YOU ARE NOT HERE, YOU HAVE MISSED YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, OK.
WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO HEAR, AND THIS IS A PASSIONATE, IMPORTANT SUBJECT MATTER AND SO WE WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYBODY'S TIME.
ALL RIGHT, SO GIVEN THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL NOW ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION AS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR THE FOLLOWING
[2. CLOSED SESSION]
PURPOSE.SECTION 551.071, THE TIME IS EIGHT 8:05 A.M.
[00:05:02]
THE BOARD WILL NOW RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.TODAY IS MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021, AND THE TIME IS 945 A.M..
[3. RECONVENE OPEN SESSION]
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE NOW TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF OUR MEETING.[4. PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION - AGENDA ITEMS ONLY]
AND BEFORE WE WE DO, LET ME ESTABLISH A HANDFUL OF OF GUIDANCE'S, IF YOU WOULD ALL HELP US OUT, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.THERE ARE MANY OF YOU IN HERE WHO ARE VETERANS OF REDISTRICTING ISSUES FROM THE EARLY AUGHTS TO THE LATE AUGHTS.
THERE ARE MANY OF YOU WHO ARE VETERANS OF INCLUDING NANCY AND MYSELF, OF FORTH HIGH SCHOOL MEETINGS WHERE WE HAD HUNDREDS OF SPEAKERS.
PLANO ISD, THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THOSE LARGE PUBLIC COMMENT MEETINGS IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER, IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER.
IN MY ASK OF THIS GROUP IS GOING TO BE JUST THAT, THAT WE BE RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER AS A COMMUNITY.
WE DO NOT HAVE ALL SHARE THE SAME VIEWPOINTS, AND THAT IS FINE.
THAT IS WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE MADE OF.
BUT WHAT I WOULD ASK IS THAT YOU BE RESPECTFUL OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SPEAKING AND YOU BE RESPECTFUL OF THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN HEAR ALL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IN THAT REGARD, I AM GOING TO ASK THAT PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CHEERING, CLAPPING, SHOUTING, DURING PUBLIC COMMENT ANY TIME WHEN SOMEBODY IS SPEAKING AND THEN AFTER.
AND LET ME JUST BE PERFECTLY BLUNT.
IF YOU DIVIDE THIS ROOM INTO TWO SIDES, IF ONE SIDE STARTS DOING IT, THE OTHER SIDE'S GOING TO START DOING IT.
AND SO I'M ASKING EVERYBODY TO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL IN THAT REGARD.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS WE WANT TO GET THROUGH.
SO, YEAH, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU ALL IN THE LOBBY, IF YOU CAN HEAR, THE LOBBY IS AN EXTENSION OF THE BOARDROOM.
EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO HEAR OUT THERE AS WELL.
SO IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF YOUR YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS IN THE LOBBY WHO WANT TO HEAR ALL OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AS WELL.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE BE QUIET.
FINALLY, SIGNAGE, THERE ARE LOTS OF SIGNS IN HERE.
IF YOU HAVE A SIGN HELD UP, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE PULL IT TO EYE LEVEL SO THAT THOSE BEHIND YOU CAN SEE.
AND SPECIFICALLY, THOSE OF YOU IN THE WINDOWS, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE PULL YOUR SIGNS DOWN SO THOSE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU ARE ABLE TO SEE THE BOARD, THE BOARD TABLE.
OK, WELL, IF WE COULD HAVE SECURITY, PLEASE ADVISE FOLKS OUTSIDE WHO ARE HOLDING SIGNS UP ON THE WINDOWS, IF YOU COULD ASK THEM TO PULL THOSE DOWN SO EVERYBODY OUTSIDE CAN SEE, THAT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
THE STAFF, IF WE IF THERE'S A WAY TO RAISE THE VOLUME OUTSIDE, THAT'S APPRECIATED.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE MOVING NOW TO PUBLIC COMMENTS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DOCTOR TERESA WILLIAMS WILL ADVISE IF ANYONE HAS SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
PRESIDENT STOLLE, WE HAVE NINETY SPEAKER CARDS TODAY.
OK, WE HAVE 90 SPEAKERS, FOLKS, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AT AN EMERGENCY BOARD MEETING IS LIMITED TO THE PORTION OF THE MEETING DESIGNATED TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT.
AT ALL OTHER TIMES, THE AUDIENCE SHALL NOT ENTER INTO DISCUSSION OR DEBATE ON MATTERS BEING CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD UNLESS REQUESTED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
INDIVIDUALS MAY PARTICIPATE BY SUBMITTING A COMMENT CARD IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING.
COMMENT CARDS ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE TO ANOTHER SPEAKER.
SIGN UP OPENED UP ONE HOUR BEFORE THE POSTED MEETING, START TIME ON THE AGENDA AND CLOSED AT THE POSTED, MEANING START TIME.
IF A SPEAKER IS NOT PRESENT WHEN HIS OR HER NAME IS CALLED, THE SPEAKER FORFEITS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT THAT MEETING.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE FIRST 40 SPEAKERS HERE SEATED IN THE ROOM.
SO IT'LL BE IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE SPOKEN, IF YOU COULD PLEASE CYCLE OUT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE OTHER FOLKS CYCLE IN WHO NEED TO SPEAK.
THE BOARD WILL HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS ONLY AT THIS ONLY AGENDA ITEMS AT THIS TIME.
AN INDIVIDUAL MUST INDICATE THE AGENDA ITEM THE COMMENTS WILL ADDRESS, FAILURE TO LIST THE AGENDA ITEM BEING ADDRESSED WILL RESULT IN THE PRESUMPTION THAT YOU WISH TO SPEAK REGARDING A NON AGENDA ITEM, WHICH YOU'RE NOT HEARD AT THIS MEETING.
THE COMMENTS WILL BE HEARD IN THE ORDER THEY WERE SUBMITTED UNTIL ALL AGENDA RELATED COMMENTS HAVE BEEN HEARD.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME AND ORDERLY CONDUCT OF BUSINESS, THE BOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ADJUST WHEN PUBLIC COMMENT WILL OCCUR DURING THE MEETING, REORDER AGENDA ITEMS, CONTINUE AGENDA ITEMS TO A LATER MEETING, PROVIDE EXPANDED OPPORTUNITY FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, OR ESTABLISH AN OVERALL TIME LIMIT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
ADJUST THE TIME LIMIT ALLOTTED TO EACH SPEAKER AND MAKE OTHER REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TIMING OF PUBLIC COMMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW.
THREE MINUTES MAY BE PROVIDED FOR EACH COMMENT.
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HOWEVER, IF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF COMMENTS EXCEEDS 10, THE TIME LIMIT MAY BE REDUCED, IN NO EVENT WILL SPEAKER BE GIVEN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE.A TIMER IS DISPLAYED ON THE SCREENS, AND IF YOU'RE NOT FINISHED SPEAKING AT THE END OF YOUR TIME, YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO STOP OR I WILL INTERRUPT YOU SO WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM.
ALL LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN BOARD POLICY B.E.D.
LOCAL WILL APPLY, AND THE PUBLIC IS ENCOURAGED TO REVIEW THE POLICY FOR DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION.
COMMENTS WILL BE LIMITED TO ONE MINUTE PER SPEAKER.
ANY COMMENTS ARE LIMITED SOLELY TO THE IDENTIFIED AGENDA ITEM AS INDICATED ON THE SPEAKERS CARD.
SHOULD AN INDIVIDUAL FAIL TO ADDRESS THE AGENDA ITEM LISTED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT CARD SUBMITTED, THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL STOP THE SPEAKER AND REQUEST THAT THEY MAINTAIN FOCUS ON THE AGENDA ITEM LISTED.
THE INFORMATION SHARED IN PUBLIC COMMENT SOLELY PROVIDES THE OPINION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER, NOT THE DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, THE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY IS EXECUTIVE ORDER 38 AND MASK MANDATES, SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION OR RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY MAY BE FURNISHED IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES, BUT THE BOARD SHALL NOT DELIBERATE OR DECIDE REGARDING ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA.
THE BOARD MAY ALSO REFER A SPEAKER TO A STAFF MEMBER, AN AUTHORITY OVER THE ISSUE.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER OR DESIGNEE SHALL DETERMINE WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSING THE BOARD HAS ATTEMPTED TO SOLVE THE MATTER ADMINISTRATIVELY THROUGH RESOLUTION CHANNELS ESTABLISHED BY POLICY.
IF NOT, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE REFERRED TO THE APPROPRIATE POLICY TO SEEK RESOLUTION.
IT'S A CRIMINAL OFFENSE FOR A PERSON WITH INTENT TO PREVENT OR DISRUPT A LAWFUL MEETING, TO SUBSTANTIALLY OBSTRUCT OR INTERFERE WITH THE ORDINARY CONDUCT OF A MEETING BY PHYSICAL ACTION OR VERBAL UTTERANCE, AND THEREBY CURTAIL THE EXERCISE OF OTHERS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
THE BOARD WILL NOT TOLERATE DISRUPTION OF THE MEETING BY MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE.
IF AT LEAST AFTER ONE WARNING FROM THE PRESIDING OFFICER, ANY INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES TO DISRUPT THE MEETING BY HIS OR HER WORDS OR ACTIONS.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER MAY REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS, LET'S ALL BE RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER.
GIVE EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR OPINION SO THAT THE BOARD CAN HEAR ALL OPINIONS.
WILLIAMS, CALL THE FIRST SPEAKER.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS MORNING IS NICOLE BOWMAN.
AS THE SPEAKER COMES OUT, BUT AS A REMINDER, I'M THE TIMEKEEPER AND AT THE MINUTE, MARK, I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT IT'S EXCEEDED A MINUTE.
THE TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BOARDS, WEBSITE STATES, AND I QUOTE, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS OR TRUSTEES ARE GUARDIANS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST.
THEY PUT THE INTERESTS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES YOUTH FIRST.
CAN YOU ALL, AS A COLLECTIVE BOARD, LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND SAY THAT WITH NO MASK MANDATE IN PLACE THAT YOU'RE DOING THAT? MY DAUGHTER IS 10 YEARS OLD.
EVERY SINGLE KID AT HER CAMPUS ISN'T ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE.
I SEND HER TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY WONDERING IF SHE'S GOING TO COME HOME WITH COVID, WONDERING IF SHE'S GOING TO NEED AN ICU BED THAT'S NOT AVAILABLE.
HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES ME FEEL AS A PARENT? I'M ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED AND I FEEL HELPLESS.
OF COURSE, WE LIVE IN A FREE SOCIETY.
WE'RE ALL PART OF ONE PLANO COMMUNITY.
AND SOMETIMES WE NEED TO DO THINGS LIKE WEAR A MASK TO HELP THE COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT HERE TO DEBATE ANYONE'S PERCEIVED PERSONAL FREEDOMS. I'M HERE TO PLEAD WITH YOU TO MAKE A SCIENTIFICALLY BACK DECISION AND REQUIRE MASK ON CAMPUS OR REQUIRE THEM UNTIL THE DELTA VARIANT IS UNDER CONTROL, THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.
DO I START NOW? MY NAME IS ROBYN.
I AM A WORKING MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN IN THIS DISTRICT.
I'VE TAKEN TIME OFF WORK TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE I FEEL OUR CHILDREN'S WELL-BEING IS AT STAKE.
OUR CHILDREN ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR POLITICAL BATTLE.
WEAR A MASK AND YOU'RE ACCEPTED BY YOUR PEERS.
DON'T WEAR A MASK AND BE ISOLATED AND TREATED LIKE YOU DON'T CARE FOR OTHERS.
THIS IS A SOCIAL ISSUE THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER.
AS THE COVID DASHBOARD DATA SHOWS ME, THE PARENTS, STAFF AND TEACHERS ARE HANDLING THIS VERY WELL AND DON'T NEED A FORCED MASK POLICY WITH DAILY CLEANING EFFORTS, COVID SCREENING METHODS AND CHOOSING TO WEAR A MASK OR NOT TO.
LAST YEAR, WE FOLLOWED THE MANDATE WITHOUT QUESTION, EVEN THOUGH THE DATA DIDN'T SUPPORT THAT DECISION.
WHY ARE WE QUESTIONING THE MANDATE THIS YEAR WHEN THE DATA DOES SUPPORT NOT MASKING? ARE WE REALLY TRYING TO PROTECTING THE KIDS? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO TEACH OUR KIDS? IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, THROW A FIT TO GET YOUR WAY.
LET'S BE CLEAR HERE, I AM NOT ANTI VACCINE, I AM NOT ANTI MASK, I'M ANTI FORCE.
AS FORCE WITHOUT CONSENT IS NEVER OK OR LAWFUL.
I JUST WANT MY CHILDREN AND ALL YOUR CHILDREN TO GET BACK TO LEARNING, NOT TO FOCUS ON WHETHER THEIR MASK IS UP.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, DENISE MIDGLEY.
HELLO, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT AND SCHOOL BOARD.
I TRULY KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY DEBATED ISSUE, BUT I FEEL THAT IT'S NOT HEALTHY
[00:15:06]
FOR ANYONE TO BE BREATHING THEIR OWN CARBON MONOXIDE AND ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN.SO PLEASE CONSIDER RESPECTING THE PARENTS CHOICE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN, THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JULIE JENNINGS.
HI, IT'S ME AGAIN, AS I SAT OUT HERE FOR THE LAST COUPLE HOURS, I REALIZED THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE HERE DON'T HAVE KIDS IN OUR PLANO SCHOOLS, AND A LOT OF THEM DON'T HAVE ELEMENTARY KIDS, AND THEIR WORRIES ARE DIFFERENT THAN OURS.
OUR KIDS HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE VACCINATED.
THEY DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS YET.
AND THEY'RE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE THE BURDEN OF THEIR FAMILY'S HEALTH PLACED ON THEM.
I'M ASKING YOU HERE TO PUT A MASK MANDATE IN POLICY TO PROTECT OUR ELEMENTARY KIDS UNTIL THEY CAN BE VACCINATED.
OUR PEDIATRICIANS ARE SCREAMING THAT A CRISIS IS IN THE MAKING, AND YOU GUYS SAT HERE THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS AND SAYING THE DECISION WASN'T IN YOUR HANDS AND IT WASN'T THEN, BUT IT IS NOW.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO FOLLOW THE PROTOCOLS WE FOLLOWED LAST YEAR.
COVID WILL STILL BE IN OUR SCHOOLS, WE KNOW THAT.
BUT WE CAN PREVENT IT FROM SPREADING IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE UNTIL THEY'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE.
IT'S UP TO US NOW TO PROTECT THEM UNTIL IT'S THEIR TURN TO BE VACCINATED.
THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU GUYS TODAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, RUSSELL SANDERS.
GOOD MORNING, I'M A TEACHER IN PLANO ISD AND HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST 16 YEARS.
I PREDOMINANTLY WORK WITH STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE CONTROLLING THEIR EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL RESPONSES.
AND PART OF MY JOB IS DATA COLLECTION.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE SOME OF THAT WITH YOU OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN KIND OF DO THE MATH TO HELP US MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.
SOME OF THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS, I SAW A LOT OF FATIGUE, DIFFICULTY CONCENTRATING, HEADACHES, SHORTNESS OF BREATH, A LOT OF COMPLAINING THAT THE MASK WAS BOTHERING THEM, IT CAUSED ACNE, WHICH DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A BIG DEAL TO US, BUT WHEN YOU'RE GROWING UP, [INAUDIBLE] IT'S EMBARRASSING AND IT MATTERS.
THOSE THINGS LED TO INCREASES IN FRUSTRATION, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, ACTING OUT BEHAVIORS, STRESS, AND A DESIRE TO SOCIALLY ISOLATE THEMSELVES, WHICH WAS A BIG ONE TO ME.
THEY BECAME FEARFUL OF THEIR STUDENT PEERS.
THEY BECAME WANTING TO STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, TREATING EACH OTHER LIKE THEY WERE SICK, WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM WHEN THEY WANT TO BE ALONE.
THEIR STUDENT TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS BECAME AFFECTED.
IT WAS NO LONGER A GOOD MORNING.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR MASK? IT WAS NO LONGER.
HOW ARE YOU DOING? IT WAS FIX YOUR MASK BECAUSE TEACHERS WERE REQUIRED TO DO THESE THINGS TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, AMBER PIERCE.
YES, MY NAME IS AMBER PIERCE, AND MY THREE SONS ATTEND HIGHTOWER ELEMENTARY.
I'M ALSO A SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN RICHARDSON ISD WHERE MASK HAVE CONTINUED TO BE REQUIRED.
THIS IS SUPER SIMPLE MANDATE MASKS FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL KIDS, IF PARENTS DON'T LIKE THAT ROLE, THERE'S A PARENT LED VIRTUAL OPTION AWAITING THEM.
YOU WANT CHOICE? YOUR CHOICE IS IS VIRTUAL.
WE NEED TO STOP CATERING TO THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH THE FACTS AND THE SCIENCE PROVING MASK WORK AND SHOULD BE WORN DURING THIS DANGEROUS TIME OF THE PANDEMIC.
IF YOU DECIDE TO GO AGAINST THE SCIENCE AND CONTINUE TO ALLOW UNMASK STUDENTS TO BE AT SCHOOL, PLEASE GROUP ALL STUDENTS WHO WEAR MASKS TOGETHER AND THOSE WHO DO NOT IN A DIFFERENT GROUP.
I'M REAL SICK OF SENDING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL WITH OTHERS WHOSE PARENTS BELIEVE THEY HAVE A PERSONAL CHOICE TO PUT MY CHILDREN AT RISK.
SIMPLY ENCOURAGING MASKS ISN'T WORKING, JUST LIKE WE REQUIRE SHOES FOR ALL STUDENTS OR PEANUT FREE SNACKS IN SOME CLASSROOMS. WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR DISTRICT.
SCHOOL IS CLOSED FOR MONTHS AND SOME STUDENTS STAYED HOME EVEN LONGER IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE SAME ADULTS WHO ARE NOW MAKING THE DECISIONS FOR THESE KIDS.
WHY ARE WE NOT DOING THE SAME FOR KIDS BY SIMPLY REQUIRING PROPER FACE COVERINGS FOR ANYONE ON PISD CAMPUSES? PLEASE MAKE THE RIGHT, EDUCATED, MORALLY RESPONSIBLE DECISION THAT PROTECTS ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF.
REQUIRE MASKS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, VIRTUAL.
WE WILL TAKE CARE OF WHEN CUTTING OFF THE SPEAKERS.
OK, WE ARE SIX SPEAKERS INTO THIS.
LET'S TRY TO KEEP THIS RESPECTFUL AT ALL TIMES, PLEASE.
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH SOMEBODY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT PLEASE KEEP YOUR EXPRESSIONS TO YOURSELF.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEE LEE TIGER.
SO DEAR BOARD MEMBERS, URGENT MASK MANDATE IS NEEDED FOR PLANO ISD.
IT IS A MATTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH, NOT PERSONAL CHOICE.
AS WE KNOW, WITH THE RISE IN CASES AND THE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS DELTA VARIANT, PEDIATRIC ICU BEDS IN THE DFW AREA OCCUPIED MORE THAN 99 PERCENT.
[00:20:05]
WE CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE MORE KIDS INFECTED, CONSIDERING KIDS UNDER 12 DON'T EVEN VACCINATE.WITHOUT MASK THEY HAVE NOT HAVE TO FACE THE VIRUS WITHOUT ANY PROTECTION.
SO ACCORDING TO A STUDY CONDUCTED IN THE CDC IN KANSAS, SO BY COUNTY COUNTY BASIS, THE 24 COUNTIES WITH A MANDATORY MASK MANDATE SAW A MUCH, MUCH DECREASE IN THE COVID CASES.
SO CURRENTLY THERE ARE SOME LOCAL DISTRICT AND COLLEGE HAVE MADE SOME DECISION TO MANDATE THE MASK MANDATES.
SO SOME DALLAS ISD FOR THE WORSE ISD SOMETHING ELSE.
SO PLANO, YOU ARE A CITY OF EXCELLENCE.
HOPE WE CAN BE OUR COMMUNITY BE PROACTIVE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, APPRECIATE IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHOW MAYA.
I HAVE THREE KIDS ATTENDING PLANO ISD.
THEY'RE ALL UNDER 12 YEARS OLD AND CANNOT RECEIVE THE VACCINE, BECAUSE PLANO ISD HAD NO MASK MANDATE WHILE THE COVID DELTA VARIANT IS SPREADING.
MY KIDS ARE AT HOME DOING THEIR PARENT LED VIRTUAL LEARNING.
HOWEVER, WITH TWO WORKING PARENTS, THIS PARENT LED VIRTUAL LEARNING IS NOT FEASIBLE.
MY KIDS ARE NOT LEARNING, AND I WOULD RATHER THEY BE IN SCHOOL.
BUT WITHOUT EVERYONE WEARING A MASK, UNVACCINATED CHILDREN ARE NOT PROTECTED IN SCHOOL.
EVEN THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED CAN GET A BREAK THROUGH INFECTION, JUST LIKE GOVERNOR ABBOTT DID.
ABBOTT IS LUCKY TO BE GETTING TESTED EVERY DAY.
HE'S ALSO LUCKY TO GET THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT WHEN HE DID NOT EVEN SHOW ANY SYMPTOMS OF COVID.
NONE OF THIS ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR KIDS.
OUR KIDS MAY NOT EVEN GET A HOSPITAL BED IF THEY NEED ONE.
PLEASE, BOARD MEMBERS DO NOT MAKE US CHOOSE BETWEEN OUR CHILDREN'S HEALTH AND OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
PLEASE AMEND, THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.
THANK YOU, OUR NEXT SPEAKER [INAUDIBLE].
FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WILL NOT STOP TRANSMISSION IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT SLOWING THE SPREAD OF TRANSMISSION AMONGST KIDS.
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WILL BE CRITICAL FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AS OF LAST WEEK, ONE POINT NINE PERCENT OF COVID CASES WERE RESULTED IN HOSPITALIZATION OF THE PEDIATRICS.
THIRTY THREE PERCENT OF THOSE KIDS WENT TO THE ICU WITH AN AVERAGE DAY OF FOUR DAYS.
A TOTAL OF 6800 BEDS WERE NEEDED WITH ONLY 4500 BEDS AVAILABLE.
THEY NEED SPECIAL EQUIPMENT, CORRECT DOSAGES AND TRAINED HOSPITAL STAFF.
WHAT SCHOOLS DO WILL IMPACT CASE GROWTH AND THUS IMPACT HOW OUR HOSPITALS FAIR TOO.
AS A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, ONE THING REMAINS CONSISTENT WHEN A PATIENT RECEIVES A POSITIVE DIAGNOSIS, FOUR EMOTIONS, IT IS A WAVE THAT HITS THE AFFECTED AND THOSE SURROUNDING WITHOUT FAIL.
SURPRISE, FEAR OF REGRET AND REMORSE.
SURPRISE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO THEM DESPITE WARNINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
WHY ME? NEXT IS FEAR, FEAR OF THE LACK OF CONTROL ONE HAS OVER THE VIRUS'S POTENTIAL.
THE VIRUS AFFECTS EACH OF US DIFFERENTLY, AND MEDICINE IS NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE.
WE ALL RESPOND UNIQUELY WITH SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT PLAN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, MICHELLE HYMAN.
HELLO, MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER HAS A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT, WEARING A MASS WOULD GET INTO THE LINE OF HER SIGHT AND CAUSE INCREASED LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, PLUS PHYSICAL SIDE EFFECTS FROM EYESTRAIN.
MY OLDEST HAD AN ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION AND POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A LAUNDRY SOAP.
IF SHE HAS TO WEAR A MASK OVER HER FACE, I'M AFRAID THAT SHE'S GOING TO BE BREATHING THAT IN AND SHE'S GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER ANAPHYLAXIS, WHERE I COULD HAVE LOST HER, BREATHING THROUGH A MASK THEY BOTH SAY THEY HAVE DIFFICULTIES DOING.
THEY BOTH HAVE SEVERE ALLERGIES AND ECZEMA, AND IT WOULD ALSO CAUSE RASHES, WHICH COULD LEAD TO INFECTION.
IN PEDIATRIC PATIENTS ,THE KEY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE LOW VITAMIN D AND NO EXERCISE, OBESITY IN CHILDREN THAT LEAD TO A BAD OUTCOME.
IF THE SCHOOLS WERE JUST TO IMPLEMENT AN EXERCISE PROGRAM AND GET THE KIDS OUT IN THE SUN, THAT WOULD HELP INCREASE VITAMIN D AND LOWER OBESITY AND HELP THE OUTCOMES.
I WANT MASK CHOICE, AND I ALSO WANT A FULL VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR THE OTHER PEOPLE.
ON THE OTHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES OYSTERHIDE.
WELL, GOOD MORNING, IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG DAY.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, I HAVE AN HONORS BACHELOR IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING GRADUATE WORK, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND FLUID MECHANICS.
SIGNIFICANT WORK EXPERIENCE AND MECHANICAL FILTRATION.
DO ANY OF YOU KNOW WHAT THE FIVE MAIN MECHANISM, MECHANICAL FILTRATION ARE? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE FOUR SPECIFIC SPECIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ARE? ARE YOU FOLLOWING THE STATE'S RESPIRATOR STANDARD, WHICH CALLS ON CFR 29, 1910, PART 134 ? WHICH IN THE SMALL ENTITY GUIDE, SIR LET ME PAUSE YOU RIGHT THERE.
[00:25:01]
THE AGENDA ITEM IS MASK MANDATES IN EA38, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FILTRATION, THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO ISSUE A MASK MANDATE, WHY AREN'T YOU FOLLOWING A RESPIRATOR STANDARD, WHICH SPECIFICALLY DISQUALIFIES THE SURGICAL MASK AS ADEQUATE WHEN PARTICLES YOU CAN'T SEE MIGHT BE INFECTIOUS? THAT'S BECAUSE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA IN 2010, RIGOROUS RESEARCH WAS DONE BY THE NOW ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR OCEAN TAMPA BAY THAT SHOWED THAT THAT MASK WHEN SEALED WITH SILICONE, BUT STILL PAST 50 PERCENT OF A HALF A MICRON MONO DISPERSED POLYSTYRENE LATEX AEROSOL RIGHT THROUGH THE FABRIC.
THAT MASK FOR SURE DOESN'T WORK.
AND YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH GAP IN THE REST OF YOUR MASK THAT THEY DON'T WORK EITHER.
SO FOLLOW THE STANDARD IF YOU'RE GOING TO FORCE THESE KIDS TO WEAR MASK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME I MESSED UP THE TIME, BUT THAT GAVE YOU EXTRA.
THANK YOU, NEXT, WE HAVE AMILY GATTI.
I'M A MOTHER OF TWO WITH ONE CHILD ATTENDING KINDERGARTEN AT HEDGECOE.
I'M A PISD GRADUATE, HAVING ATTENDED PLANO SCHOOLS K THROUGH 12.
COVID AND MASK MANDATES HAS BECOME VERY EMOTIONAL, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SCIENCE AND STATS.
IT IS AT BEST INCONCLUSIVE THAT MASK ARE EFFECTIVE IN CHILDREN.
PISD HAS RELEASED THAT LESS THAN FOUR PERCENT OF OUR STUDENT BODY HAS BEEN INFECTED WITH THE AAP SUGGESTIONS.
IT SAYS THAT THERE IS LESS THAN TWO PERCENT OF PEDIATRIC CASES THAT HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED.
LESS THAN POINT THREE PERCENT OF THOSE RESULT IN DEATH, WITHIN OUR DISTRICT THAT WOULD EQUATE TO POINT ZERO ZERO ONE TWO PERCENT MORTALITY RATE.
THE MORTALITY RATE OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WITHIN A YEAR IS ZERO POINT ZERO ZERO TWO PERCENT.
MY CHILD HAS MORE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING STRUCK BY LIGHTNING THIS YEAR.
WE FACE BIGGER COLD AND FLU SEASONS THAN WE ARE WITH MORE STAGGERING NUMBERS THEN WE HAVE, BUT MANDATES HAVE NEVER BEEN CONSIDERED.
WHEN ENROLLING IN PLANO, THERE'S A LIST OF MANDATORY IMMUNIZATIONS THAT PREVENT ILLNESSES MORE DEADLY THAN COVID.
EVEN STILL, THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS FOR THOSE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR REASONS OF CONSCIENCE.
I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE SIMILAR HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR MY CHILDREN TO BE MASKED OR UNMASKED, MANDATES OTHERWISE INFRINGE ON MY RIGHTS AS A PARENT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TOM MOORE.
I'M EVEN A GRADUATE OF THE PLANO CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY, SO I'M INVESTED IN PLANO.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES COMPLY WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER G38 OR ILLEGALLY IMPOSE A MASK MANDATE IF YOU COMPLY WITH G38 EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.
THE PEOPLE WHO WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO WEAR MASKS CAN WEAR MASKS.
IF YOU ELECT TO BE LAWLESS AND ILLEGALLY IMPOSE THE MANDATE, YOU WILL INTRODUCE CHAOS.
CHAOS BECAUSE THOUSANDS OF PARENTS LIKE ME WILL NOT COMPLY WITH THE ILLEGAL MANDATE.
I WILL NOT FORCE MY CHILD TO WEAR A MASK IF MY CHILD AND OTHER CHILDREN ARE TURNED AWAY FROM THEIR SCHOOLS TOMORROW YOU WILL BE FACED WITH MASSIVE LAWSUITS UNDER THE GROUNDS OF DENYING OUR CHILDREN AN EDUCATION.
I ALSO WANT TO REMIND YOU OF ONE OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT DUTIES.
ABIDE BY THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.
CLEARLY, THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE IS NO MASK MANDATES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT CARWRIGHT .
THANK YOU, BOARD I'M ROBERT CANWRIGHT, ACCORDING TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION'S JUNE FIVE, 2020, GUIDANCE ON FACE MASK USE.
THERE'S NO DIRECT EVIDENCE THAT UNIVERSAL MASKING OF HEALTHY PEOPLE IS AN EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION AGAINST RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES.
I WAS AT YELLOWSTONE PARK JUST TWO WEEKS AGO.
I SAW A BICYCLIST IN THE PARK COMPLETELY ISOLATED, NOBODY AROUND HIM WEARING A MASK.
THAT MASK FOR HIM WAS A PLACEBO.
IT WAS A SECURITY BLANKET, IT WAS A REACTION BASED ON FEAR.
DR. FAUCI, HIMSELF WAS AGAINST MASK UNTIL HE WAS BULLIED IN A NEWS CONFERENCE BY THE PRESS WHO ARE WEARING MASKS, WHO HARASSED HIM UNTIL HE KNUCKLED UNDER AND SAID, OK, MAYBE MASK WILL BE HELPFUL.
MASK ARE BECOMING A MECHANISM FOR BULLYING.
BOARD, EDUCATE, DON'T MANDATE, DON'T BULLY AND DON'T PROMOTE FEAR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LISA RAITH.
I'M A MOM OF TWO KIDS, IN PLANO ISD, ONE IN HEDGCOCK AND ALSO ONE AT HENDRICK.
THEY BOTH CAN'T BE VACCINATED AT THIS POINT AND I JUST WANT THEM TO BE SAFE UNTIL THEY CAN BE.
AND THAT'S ALL I'M LOOKING FOR, THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MATT DIXON.
I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN OF THE PISD, TWO IN HIGH SCHOOL AND TWO IN
[00:30:03]
THE SENIOR HIGH.I AM NOT ANTI MASK, HERE'S MY MASK.
BUT FEW PEOPLE HAVE AS MUCH EXPERIENCE AND THIS AS I DO.
I HAVE UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES IN CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY.
SO I'VE LOOKED AT THE SCIENCE.
I'VE HAD COVID, MY WIFE'S HAD COVID.
ALL MY KIDS AND MYSELF HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.
WE'RE NOT ANTI VACCINATION, WE'RE NOT ANTI MASK.
I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE STUDENTS THINK.
PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN UNVACCINATED SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED, BUT NOT MANDATED, BUT EDUCATED TO WEAR MASKS.
PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN MASKS WILL WEAR MASKS.
THEY GO TO THE BATHROOM, THEY TAKE THEM OFF TO TALK, THEY DON'T WEAR THEM AT LUNCH.
THEY RUN AROUND WITHOUT THEM, SOME PEOPLE EVEN POKE HOLES IN THEIR MASKS.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU MANDATE, THEY'RE SURE NOT TO WEAR THEIR MASKS.
SO PLEASE EDUCATE, DON'T MANDATE.
PASSING THESE RULES THAT THESE KIDS HAVE NOT BEEN EDUCATED TO UNDERSTAND, IT'S JUST GOING TO CREATE A WHOLE GENERATION OF KIDS THAT DON'T RESPECT RULES OR RESPECT THE LAW.
PLEASE EDUCATE, DON'T MANDATE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNA DOHR.
HI, WE AS PARENTS TEACH OUR CHILDREN THAT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT ISN'T ALWAYS EASY, BUT THAT IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE'RE AT THE INTERSECTION OF THOSE LESSONS TODAY, FACING A DEFINING MOMENT IN OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION AND SAFETY.
HOW DO WE KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL WHERE THEY BELONG AND PROTECT THEM FROM COVID, AS THE NUMBER OF CASES IS CLIMBING, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT.
COVID IS A HIDDEN ENEMY THAT SOMETIMES BEARS NO SYMPTOMS. WE OFTEN DON'T KNOW WHO IS CONTAGIOUS UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE.
BUT WE DO KNOW THAT THE SCIENCE IS CLEAR.
REQUIRING MASK WILL REDUCE THE SPREAD AND WILL REDUCE THE RISK OF AN OUTBREAK, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO ARE TOO YOUNG TO BE VACCINATED.
ENCOURAGING MASK IS A GOOD FIRST STEP.
BUT AS WE TRY TO SCALE THIS GROWING MOUNTAIN AND ENCOURAGEMENT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
WE NEED A REQUIREMENT, UNIVERSAL MASKING IN PLANO ISD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MEGAN VECCHIO.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MEGHAN VECCHIO.
I'M A FORMER PLANO STUDENT, A FORMER PLANO TEACHER, AND I'M CURRENTLY A PLANO PARENT.
BOTH OF MY SONS SUFFERED UNDER PLANO MASK MANDATE LAST YEAR.
MY YOUNGEST SON ALSO HAS SENSORY ISSUES AND MASKING IS DIFFICULT FOR HIM.
HE WAS ALSO NINE AT THE TIME AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXEMPT DUE TO BOTH AGE AND MEDICAL EXEMPTION.
BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, HE WAS SO MISERABLE, HE CRIED EVERY SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL.
WE HAD ENOUGH AND I WITHDREW HIM ON MAY 3RD BECAUSE HE WAS DEPRESSED AND NOT HIMSELF.
AND I WAS MORE CONCERNED FOR HIS MENTAL HEALTH THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
MY OLDER SON WAS ALSO DEPRESSED AND WITH MASKING BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND STRUGGLED WITH ACNE, WEARING HIS MASK ALL DAY.
TO REQUIRE MASKS IS AGAINST THE GOVERNOR'S EXECUTIVE ORDER.
YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO DO THIS.
YOU HAD NO AUTHORITY TO EXTEND LAST YEAR'S MASK MANDATE TO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 10 AND TO DENY MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS TO BOTH STUDENTS AND STAFF.
HELLO, I AM A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN.
AND I REFUSE TO CO-PARENT WITH PLANO ISD, AND THE REASON WHY IS IF YOU FORCE CHILDREN TO WEAR MASKS, THESE MASK EXHIBIT COLLECTION OF DANGEROUS IMPURITIES, INCLUDING BACTERIA, PARASITES, FUNGI.
YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO BE MY PHYSICIAN.
ARE YOU WILLING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADVERSE HEALTH THE MASK WILL BRING TO MY CHILDREN? RIGHT NOW IN THE SCHOOL, A LOT OF THE CHILDREN ARE SICK WITH A COLD BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUPPRESSED THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
YOU'RE NOT LETTING THEM, YOU'RE NOT LETTING THEIR BODY DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO GET SICK, THEN YOU NEED TO KEEP THEM IN A BUBBLE, KEEP THEM AT HOME, BUT DO NOT BE INFRINGING IN MY RIGHTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATRINA CHOW.
DEAR BOARD MEMBERS WITH YOUR REQUESTING WAIVER A MANDATE FROM THE GOVERNOR IT SHOWED THAT YOU KNOW MASK MANDATE IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
NOW, WITH THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT'S RULING LAST THURSDAY, YOU CAN LAWFULLY MANDATE THE MASK.
SO PLEASE ACT NOW AND THE PASS THE MANDATE IMMEDIATELY TO SAVE LIVES.
THANK YOU, I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS TO ANTI MASKER MANDATE PEOPLE.
THE MANDATE THAT WE SUGGEST IS ONLY TEMPORARY UNTIL THE VACCINE IS OUT.
[00:35:01]
THE MASK MANDATE WILL AND SHOULD ALWAYS EXTEND TO PEOPLE WITH MA'AM.MA'AM, LET ME PAUSE RIGHT THERE.
YOU'RE GOING OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF WHAT OUR AGENDA ITEM IS.
OUR AGENDA ITEM IS EXECUTIVE ORDER 38 AND MASK AND PLEASE, IF YOU COULD ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD, NOT TO ANYBODY BEHIND YOU.
SO WE PAUSED YOUR TIME, YOU STILL HAVE 26 SECONDS.
SO EVERYONE, I THINK OUR KIDS ARE WATCHING.
SO 30 YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN WE BECOME VULNERABLE, OUR FAITHS MAY BE DECIDED BY THE VOTES OF THE YOUNG GENERATIONS.
SO JUST THINK ABOUT IT, BE GOOD ROLE MODEL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD MARSH.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
HOLD ON A SECOND, LET ME STOP.
I'M SORRY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR FULL TIME.
THERE'S A DELAY, I THINK YOU GUYS CAN HEAR THAT.
SO AS FOLKS OUTSIDE ARE COMING IN, IF YOU COULD DO TWO THINGS FOR US, IF YOU COULD QUICKLY SHUT THE DOORS, AND IF SECONDLY, IF YOU COULD REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING OUTSIDE, YOU'RE ON A 15 SECOND DELAY AND THAT'S DISRUPTING THE PERSON WHO'S SPEAKING IN THE BOARDROOM.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO COME HERE AND SPEAK AND NOT KEEPING US OUTSIDE FOR FOUR HOURS BACK TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE OUT HERE IF THIS HAD BEEN AN EVENING MEETING.
FEAR IS CONTROLLING OUR DECISIONS AND SENDING COMMON SENSE OUT THE DOOR.
GOD SAYS DO NOT FEAR THREE HUNDRED SIXTY FIVE TIMES IN THE BIBLE AND ALL I SEE IS EVERYTHING ON FEAR.
AND THEN WOULD WE GO ON TO THE FEAR, WE'RE GOING TO IGNORE LAWS.
REGARDING THE MASK THE NEW YORK TIMES CAME UP WITH AN ARTICLE THAT THE MASK DO NOT STOP AEROSOLS.
THERE'S BEEN ALL KINDS OF STUFF YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN IN VIDEOS, PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE IS THAT EVERYBODY EVENTUALLY IS GOING TO GET THIS VIRUS.
THE KEY IS GETTING EARLY TREATMENT.
PISD BOARD MEMBERS, WITH LITTLE CHANGE FROM THREE WEEKS AGO, PISD CURRENT HEALTH PROTOCOL IS ALL BASED ON EARLY SUMMER DATA AND ASSUME THAT OUR LIFE IS BACK TO NORMAL.
HOWEVER, THE FACT IS LEADING BY TEXAS AND FLORIDA, WHERE MASK MANDATES ARE STILL PENDING IN SCHOOL.
US IS EXPERIENCING THE WORST DELTA SURGE WITHIN EIGHT WEEKS OF NEW SEMESTER STARTS.
PISD HAS MORE THAN 200 POSITIVE CASES.
WE ARE FAR FROM NORMAL YET, WITHOUT VACCINE AVAILABLE FOR AGE UNDER 12.
MASK MANDATE FOR OUR SOCIAL DISTANCE, [INAUDIBLE] POSITIVE CASE HOSPITALIZE, SCHOOL CLOSURE AND EVEN [INAUDIBLE] IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME.
WEARING MASK IS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT PEOPLE AROUND YOU AND REDUCE COMMUNITY INFECTED RATES.
TODAY YOU HAVE THE VOTE TO CHANGE IT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MA'AM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ELISA KLEIN.
SUPERINTENDED BONSER AND PLANO ISD TRUSTEE.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF 10 MOMS WHO WERE CONCERNED TO REQUEST THAT YOU MOVED TO REQUIRE ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF TO WEAR MASK IN PISD.
THIS LETTER WAS CIRCULATED IN HOPES OF AMASSING TWENTY SIGNATURES, WE NOW HAVE THREE HUNDRED.
PLANO ISD IS A WONDERFUL SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH SO MANY PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATION IN PLANO.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY.
PLEASE LISTEN TO THE EXPERT ADVICE OF DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS WHO ARE RESEARCHING AND FIGHTING THE BATTLE AGAINST COVID.
PLEASE REQUIRE MASS FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF AND PISD TEA AND TEXAS PTA, THE LARGEST CHILD ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION HAVE HEARD THE PLEAS FROM PARENTS AND ARE IN SUPPORT OF REQUIRING MASKS IN TEXAS SCHOOLS.
WE URGE YOU TO FOLLOW THE GUIDANCE OF THE AAP OUTLINED HERE.
ALL STUDENTS OLDER THAN TWO YEARS AND ALL STAFF SHOULD WEAR FACE MASKS UNLESS MEDICAL OR DEVELOPMENTAL CONDITIONS PROHIBIT THE USE.
THE AAP RECOMMENDS [INAUDIBLE] MASKING IN SCHOOL AT THIS TIME FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS, BECAUSE SOME ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO GET VACCINATED, BECAUSE PROTECTING THE UNVACCINATED STUDENTS FROM COVID 19 AND TO REDUCE TRANSMISSION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARYANN HUNT.
GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS MARYANNE HUNT.
I'M A MOTHER OF FOUR PLANO GRADUATES.
[00:40:04]
I'VE BEEN VOLUNTEERING AT PLANO SCHOOLS SINCE 1987 AT ALL LEVELS.I'M ALSO THE WIFE OF MY HUSBAND IS A PHYSICIAN.
HE'S A FELLOW AT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS, AND HE'S BEEN PRACTICING MEDICINE IN DALLAS FOR 45 YEARS.
I'M A GRANDPARENT, TO SIX PISD CHILDREN.
NEW CASES OF COVID ARE SKYROCKETING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ARE PRIMARILY AFFECTING THE UNVACCINATED AND THE YOUNG.
WITH, THE NEW DELTA VARIANT, EVEN THE VACCINATED ARE AFFECTED.
THERE ARE PRECIOUSLY FEW ICU BEDS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS, SINCE CHILDREN UNDER 12 YEARS OF AGE CANNOT BE VACCINATED AND THOSE CHILDREN OVER 12 WHO HAVE CAN SPREAD THE DISEASE.
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT EVERYONE ATTENDING SCHOOLS AND AN INDOOR SETTING WEAR MASK.
RIGHT, HELLO, DAWN SMITH, I AM A FORMER PARENT OF ONE FORMER PISD STUDENT, ONE CURRENT PISD STUDENT, NO MASK MANDATES, PLEASE LET THE PARENTS DECIDE.
YOU WANT TO MAKE A RULE IN WHICH WE HAVE TO COMPLY, WHILE YOU YOURSELVES ARE ACTING IN DEFIANCE TO THE STATE EO.
CDC PROVIDES GUIDELINES, NOT LAWS.
THERE ARE NO CLINICAL STUDIES THAT PROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MASKS.
YOU'RE NOT PROTECTING OUR FREEDOMS. YOU'RE IMPOSING CONTROL.
IF YOUR MASK WORKS FOR YOU, THEN WHY DO I NEED TO WEAR ONE? IF YOU'RE VAXX WORKS FOR YOU, THEN WHY DO I NEED TO GET ONE? YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO WEAR A MASK AND HAVE YOUR KID WEAR A MASK AND LET THEM BE VAXXED.
I SUPPORT YOUR RIGHT TO DO THAT.
AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT I FEEL IS BEST FOR MY FAMILY.
DON'T WASTE OUR TAX MONEY ON LEGAL FEES AND LAWSUITS.
JUST FOLLOW THE EO AND LET THE PARENTS DECIDE.
IF YOU IMPOSE THIS MANDATE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND OTHER PARENTS WILL HAVE BECOME BULLIES IN VIOLATION OF, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME MA'AM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HEIDI COOK.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU, I KNOW THIS IS REALLY HARD FOR YOU AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU.
I HAVE THREE KIDS IN PLANO ISD, ALL OF WHOM ARE VACCINATED.
EVEN MY NINE YEAR OLD HAS BEEN IN THE MODERNA STUDY AND HAS HAD THE FULL ADULT VACCINE AND IS STILL LIVES TO TELL ABOUT IT.
YOU GUYS DID A GREAT JOB LAST YEAR.
I FEEL VERY PROUD THAT OUR DISTRICT DID SO WELL WITH HANDLING THE CASES AND BEING ABLE TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE, IS THAT THEY STAY IN SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHAT KEEPS KIDS FROM NOT BEING DEPRESSED.
THAT'S WHAT KEEPS KIDS BEING ABLE TO BE SOCIAL.
THE MASK IS A SMALL PRICE TO PAY IN REGARDS OUR DISCUSSION IS ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF THIS.
IN REGARDS TO THE LEGALITY OF MANDATING A MASK.
I THINK A REAL CLEAR ANALOGY WAS THE EMAIL I GOT FROM MY MIDDLE SCHOOL SAYING THAT THEY WERE REQUIRING LANYARDS THIS YEAR FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS BECAUSE FOR THEIR SAFETY, AS MY EIGHTH GRADER ASKED ME, HOW MANY KIDS IN PLANO ISD HAD BEEN KILLED BY A SCHOOL SHOOTER? THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY SAYS ABOUT COVID.
WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN AND FOR THEIR SAFETY AND SECURITY, WE STILL NEED TO WEAR THE MASKS.
I DON'T SEE ANY UNLANYARD OUR KIDS SIGNS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KRISTI CHRISTIAN.
WELL, I HAD A SPEECH WRITTEN OUT, BUT AS I WAS OBSERVING YOU FOLKS UP HERE.
I'VE NOTICED YOU TAKE YOUR MASK OFF, WIPE YOUR MOUTH CONTINUOUSLY, CHEW ON YOUR GLASSES.
YOU, SIR, STILL HAVE YOUR FINGERS ON YOURS.
YOU HAVE TONS OF BACTERIA IN YOUR MOUTH AND IT'S MADE TO EXHALE NOT TO KEEP TAKING IT BACK IN AND YOU'RE JUST LETTING IT MARINATE, IT'S RIDICULOUS.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE COMMON SENSE IS WENT IN THIS COUNTRY, BUT IF YOU WANT TO STOP COVID AND MASK MANDATE, WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THE BORDER AND HELP ME STOP ALL THESE PEOPLE FROM COMING IN HERE BRINGING IT, SINCE WE'RE TAKING IN BUS LOADS IF YOU WANT TO IF YOU'RE SO WORRIED ABOUT OUR KIDS.
MA'AM, CAN WE GET BACK TO THE MANDATE, PLEASE? WELL, THAT IS THE MANDATE.
AND I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD BE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO WITH MY CHILD, WHEN YOU'RE UP THERE CONTAMINATING EVERYTHING, TOUCHING YOUR FACE.
YOU HAVE BACTERIA AND VIRUSES ALL OVER YOU AND YOU'RE CONSTANTLY HANDLING THESE MASK, TAKING THEM OFF, STICKING YOUR FINGER IN YOUR MOUTH, IT'S DISGUSTING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME MA'AM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHEN CHAN.
FOLKS WE DID, WE MANAGED TO MAKE IT THROUGH 27 SPEAKERS.
[00:45:02]
THIS IS NOT A SHOW.OK, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP AND WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS, BUT THIS IS NOT A PERFORMANCE ART PIECE.
PLEASE, LET'S JUST HAVE YOUR COMMENTS.
GIVE IT TO THE BOARD SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ON.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHEN CHEN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SHI LU NE.
WHERE'S LESLIE? YEAH, WE HAD OUR FIRST 40 SPEAKERS LINED UP, WE'RE GETTING ROUND 28.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE HAVE SPEAKERS LINED UP.
LESLIE, DO WE STILL HAVE DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS LINED UP? SPEAKER 28 AND SPEAKER 29.
CHEN CHEN AND 29 IS SHI LU NE.
OK, YOU WANT TO MOVE ON? OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAN LOWMAN, JAN LOHMANN.
THANK YOU FOR NOT STARTING MY TIME.
I NOTICED THAT SEVERAL SPEAKERS HAVE ASKED YOU TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE TO MASK, BUT THEY HAVEN'T SHOWN YOU ANY SCIENCE.
AND I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY THAT SUPPORTS THE EFFICACY OF MASKING.
HOWEVER, THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HAS HAD A YEAR TO NOW DO A CONTROLLED STUDY.
AND LAST MONTH THEY CAME OUT WITH A REPORT THAT SAID THAT MASK REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF BRAIN OXYGEN GOING TO OUR CHILDREN AND THEREFORE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO MASK.
THIS IS THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.
THAT IS NOT A QANON CONSPIRACY.
THE CDC LAST MONTH CAME OUT WITH THE SAME RESULTS.
IT REDUCES BRAIN OXYGEN AND IT CAUSES DEPRESSION.
DR. FAUCI WAS FORCED TO GET ON TV, THANK YOU, YOUR TIME IS UP.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BEN LATHAN.
GOOD MORNING, I'M HERE, I'M HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT A MASK REQUIREMENT IN PLANO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
MY KIDS ARE TOO YOUNG TO GET VACCINATED, AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO REALLY HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT SCHOOL ANYWAY.
BUT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY WORK.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST MY OPINION THAT THEY WORK.
IT'S BEEN VERIFIED BY DOZENS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDIES.
WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT MASK WORK WITH OUR OWN EYES.
JUST LAST YEAR, THE COVID SAFETY MEASURES THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE, INCLUDING THE MASK MANDATE, WERE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AND ALLOWED OUR KIDS TO ATTEND SCHOOL SAFELY IN PERSON, BUT MASK ONLY WORK IF EVERYONE WEARS THEM.
IF ONE CHILD IN CLASS HAS COVID AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, AND IF THEY'RE NOT WEARING A MASK, THAT UNMASKED KID CAN MORE EASILY SPREAD COVID TO ALL OF THEIR CLASSMATES.
WHETHER OR NOT THE OTHER KIDS ARE WEARING A MASK, IF AN UNMASKED CHILD AT SCHOOL INFECTS MY CHILD WITH COVID, MY RIGHT TO PROTECT MY KID HAS BEEN VIOLATED.
THIS IS WHY WE NEED A MASK MANDATE.
IT'S NOT A MATTER OF PARENT'S PERSONAL FREEDOM.
I CAN'T CHOOSE FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S KID TO WEAR THE MASK THAT PROTECTS MY KID.
SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY HAS TO DO THAT.
THIS REQUIREMENT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND WILL HELP KEEP PLANO SCHOOLS OPEN AND OUR KIDS SAFE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GRADY LOTTING.
I WANT TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT NUMBERS.
THAT'S RIGHT NUMBERS, THE FIRST NUMBER IS ZERO POINT THREE, EIGHT PERCENT, THANKS TO THE COVID REPORTING DASHBOARD YOU GUYS HAVE PROVIDED.
THAT'S THE PERCENT POSITIVE CASES ACROSS ALL PISD AMONG THE 50000 STUDENTS ENROLLED CURRENTLY.
I'LL REPEAT, ZERO POINT THREE, EIGHT PERCENT.
YOU WANT TO MASK OVER 50000 STUDENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE A ZERO POINT THREE EIGHT PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE RIGHT NOW.
ABSOLUTELY UNFOUNDED AND RIDICULOUS.
THE OTHER NUMBERS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, MINUS 14, MINUS EIGHT AND MINUS TWO GUYS KNOW WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE.
THAT'S THE SAT PERFORMANCE SCORES FROM LAST YEAR COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
WHY ARE WE HAVING A MANDATE MEETING ON MASKING WHEN SAT SCORES HAVE BEEN TANKED BECAUSE OF THE MASK MANDATES FROM LAST YEAR.
WE'RE ON TRACK FOR EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO GO ON LAST YEAR FOR THIS YEAR.
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO FINISH ON THE TOPIC OF POWER.
YOU GUYS HAVE GRIPED AND COMPLAINED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, SIR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS [INAUDIBLE] ON THE PISD WEBSITE, IT STATES GA38 HAS THE FULL EFFECT OF LAW.
[00:50:11]
THE WAIVER REQUEST HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED.THERE IS NOT A MASK MANDATE IN COLLIN COUNTY.
ALL LAST YEAR, ANY CONCERNS WERE MET WITH.
WE HAVE TO FOLLOW EXECUTIVE ORDERS.
DO NOT DO WHAT PARIS ISD DID AND CHEAT IT INTO THE DRESS CODE.
DO NOT DO WHAT ROUND ROCK DID, BECAUSE THAT WILL CREATE A VISIBLE, IDENTIFIABLE MARKER FOR THE STUDENT BASED ON EXEMPTION STATUS.
IT WILL LEAD TO DISCRIMINATION AND BULLYING.
WE HAVE PARENTS ASKING FOR SEGREGATION OF STUDENTS IN AMERICA IN 2021.
DO NOT PIT OUR CHILDREN AGAINST EACH OTHER.
DO NOT PUT THEM ON A ROLLER COASTER OF ONE DAY IT'S ALLOWED THE NEXT IT'S NOT.
WE HAVE THE COURAGE NOT TO DISOBEY GA38, AS ANOTHER HAS FOOLISHLY SUGGESTED, FOR WHICH HE HAS NO CONSEQUENCE OF SUCH DISOBEDIENCE.
YET THE BOARD WILL, BUT RATHER HAVE THE COURAGE TO STAY THE COURSE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CELESTE [INAUDIBLE] I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THOUSANDS OF PARENTS.
YOU HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE A PROPER EDUCATION.
YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ELECTED TO MAKE HEALTH CARE DECISIONS FOR MY FAMILY OR TO TAKE AWAY MY FREEDOM OF CHOICE FOR MY CHILDREN AND WHAT'S RIGHT.
WHO ARE YOU TO CHALLENGE US AS PARENTS AND WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO WHEN IT AFFECTS MY CHILDREN? TWO OF OUR CHILDREN HAVE DYSLEXIA AND WE HAVE A 504 CONTRACT IN PLACE THAT REQUIRES YOU BY LAW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE RECEIVING A PROPER ACCOMMODATIONS.
PLEASE TELL ME, NANCY, HOW DOES FORCING MY CHILD TO WEAR A MASK AGAINST OUR WILL FALL WITHIN THAT CONTRACT? HOW CAN A TEACHER HEAR THEM READ, HOW CAN A TEACHER SEE THEM FORM THEIR WORDS? YOUR BUSINESS IS EDUCATION.
YOU'RE FAILING AND YOU STAY IN YOUR LANE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MIKE TURNER.
THE NARRATIVES AND INFORMATION PRODUCED BY OUR ESTABLISHMENT CAN BE WITHERING.
BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, THERE ARE OFTENTIMES POLITICIZED AND NOT ACCURATE.
SO THE FACT THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE CAUGHT UP IN FEAR AND HYSTERIA ABOUT COVID 19 AND ATTRIBUTE TO MASK SOME SUPERHUMAN QUALITY THEY DON'T HAVE IS IS AN UNFORTUNATE REALITY.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE THEM EFFECTIVE AGAINST VIRUS TRANSMISSION.
THE SCIENCE SAYS THAT THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY HELP.
FURTHERMORE, WE KNOW THAT CHILDREN ARE AT NO GREATER RISK FROM COVID THAN THEY ARE FROM NUMEROUS OTHER COMMON RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE LIVED WITH FOR MANY YEARS.
I ASK YOU, AS CONSTITUTION LOVING CITIZENS NEW THE BOARD, I ASK YOU THIS QUESTION, IS IT THE RIGHT OF A PARENT TO DECIDE WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR CHILD OR IS IT A PRIVILEGE THAT IS GRANTED BY THE GOVERNMENT? I SAY FURTHER THAT IF THIS IS SUCH A LIFE AND DEATH DECISION FOR THE PRO MASK ADVOCATES, THAT THEY ARE NOT COMFORTABLE MASKING THEIR KIDS AND SENDING THEM TO SCHOOL.
IF IT IS THAT MUCH OF A LIFE AND DEATH DECISION, THEN SURELY THEY CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE ONLINE OPTION WORK THAT YOU HAVE SO GENEROUSLY OFFERED THEM.
THANK YOU, SIR, FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAN GOERS.
EVERY DAY, I'M AFRAID THAT MY FIRST GRADER WILL BRING DELTA HOME TO HER BABY SISTER AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED MOM, WHILE OUR HOSPITALS ARE OVERRUN, BUT SHE NEEDS TO BE IN SCHOOL AND WITHOUT TEACHERS, YOUR VIRTUAL OPTION IS JUST AN EXCUSED ABSENCE PROGRAM.
SO PLEASE REQUIRE MASK UNTIL THESE KIDS CAN BE VACCINATED AND HOSPITALS HAVE CAPACITY AGAIN.
THIS BOARD HAS BEEN SO PREOCCUPIED WITH THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER THAT YOU'VE IGNORED CONFLICTING LAWS.
WHAT ABOUT THE STATE LAW REQUIRING YOU TO PROVIDE A SAFE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT OR THE FEDERAL LAW YOU'RE BREAKING BY DENYING SPED SERVICES TO YOUR VIRTUAL STUDENTS THIS YEAR? WHAT ABOUT THE FINANCIAL LOSS FROM FAMILIES WITHDRAWING TO HOMESCHOOL OR VIRTUAL CHARTERS? PLEASE LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, BE A DISTRICT THAT TEACHES SCIENCE, NOT DENIES IT, MASK ALL KIDS UNTIL IT'S SAFER AND PROVIDE A REAL ONLINE OPTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS APRIL HOFFMAN.
THIS HAS BECOME A POLITICAL ISSUE, SO LET'S GET BACK TO THE ACTUAL SCIENCE RIGHT HERE IN MY HAND AND ANYONE CAN TAKE THIS IF THEY WANT.
I HAVE 47 STUDIES FROM PUBMED THAT PROVE MASK ARE INEFFECTIVE AND FOR COVID AND 34 MORE STUDIES PROVING THAT THEY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
COVID VIRUS MEASURES POINT ONE TO FIVE MICRONS, WHICH CAN ACTUALLY PASS THROUGH AN
[00:55:05]
N95 MASK.KIDS ARE NOT WEARING N95 MASKS, THEY'RE WEARING CLOTH MASK OR SURGICAL MASKS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HAVE A 75 AND OR 50 PERCENT LEAKAGE RATE.
THE ONLY WAY THE IN N95 MASKS ACTUALLY WORKS IS IF THEY'RE SPECIFICALLY FITTED TO THE PERSON.
TWO POINT FOUR POINT TWO MILLION CHILDREN HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID.
A TOTAL OF ZERO POINT ZERO ZERO EIGHT PERCENT OF THEM HAVE DIED.
CDC ESTIMATES THAT FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY KIDS HAVE DIED FROM THE FLU DURING THE 2018 19 SEASON.
THAT IS MORE THAN KIDS THAT HAVE DIED OF COVID.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TERRI ANN ROGERS.
I'VE LIVED IN PLANO FOR 40 YEARS.
I HAVE NO CHILDREN IN THIS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MUSIC, AND IN MUSIC YOU HAVE OBOES AND YOU HAVE VIOLINS.
AND IF YOU HAVE A PERFECTLY NICE ORCHESTRA, A SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, THE OBOE WILL GET ALONG WITH A VIOLIN AND BRING OUT THE HARMONY OF BOTH WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND YOU ARE THE CONDUCTORS OF THE SYMPHONY.
YOU ARE CAUSING DISORDER, DISCORD IN OUR COMMUNITY.
LET THEM BRING OUT THE BEST OF BOTH BY LETTING THEM CHOOSE WHETHER THEY WANT TO BE A VIOLIN OR AN OBOE.
IF YOU FORCE AN OBOE TO SOUND LIKE A VIOLIN, YOU WILL HAVE DISCORD IN THIS COMMUNITY.
IF YOU ALLOW BOTH OF THEM TO MAKE THEIR CHOICE, WHAT INSTRUMENT THEY WANT TO PLAY AND PLAY IT HARMONIOUSLY.
WE WILL HAVE A NICE COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN DISCORD.
WE ALL WANT TO LIVE IN HARMONY.
PLEASE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHAWN JONES.
MORNING, FOURTEEN DAYS TO FLATTEN THE CURVE HASN'T SEEMED TO END YET.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT I LEARNED IN MY EIGHTH GRADE HISTORY CLASS AT WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
TO PARAPHRASE "ONE WHO WILL GIVE UP LIBERTY FOR SAFETY DESERVES NEITHER AND WILL LOSE BOTH".
I LEARNED TO THINK FOR MYSELF.
I NOW HAVE A SON WHO'S IN SHEPTON.
AND EVERY DAY WE HAVE TO HAVE THIS TALK AS WE WATCH THE LINES BEING DIVIDED.
I HONESTLY DON'T CARE WHETHER ANYBODY WEARS A MASK OR THEY DON'T GET A VACCINE OR DON'T.
I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE SCIENCE NECESSARILY, BECAUSE U.S.
HISTORY ALSO TELLS US THAT SCIENCE IN THIS COUNTRY HAS BEEN BOUGHT AND SOLD, AT LEAST FOR THE LAST EIGHTY YEARS, AND THAT CANNOT BE DENIED.
SO ANYBODY UP HERE TALKING ABOUT SCIENCE, IF I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY, I CAN BUY A STUDY THAT WILL TELL ME ANYTHING I NEED IT TOO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL OPENSHAW.
NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL OPENSHAW.
JENNA, OK, WHILE MIKE'S COMING UP, IF YOU COULD ANNOUNCE THE NEXT COUPLE OF NAMES SO THAT THOSE OUTSIDE CAN KNOW TO COME IN.
JENNA ROYALE, RAGAN GLOVER, AND RUBY SEVERE.
YES, MY NAME IS MIKE OPENSHAW.
MY FIRST CAREER WAS MEDICAL, MICROBIOLOGY, VIROLOGY, AND MY SECOND WAS DATA ANALYSIS.
I'VE BEEN TRACKING COVID SINCE FEBRUARY 2020.
MY FAMILY INCLUDES ASIANS AND I'VE BEEN TRACKING IT VERY WELL.
I BELIEVE IN SCIENCE MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
I'VE GOTTEN IN TROUBLE ON BOTH SIDES FOR BELIEVING IN SCIENCE.
IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, I HAVE I WAS A VOLUNTEER MASK ADVOCATE EARLY ON BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE WE HAD.
THEY CANNOT SHOW ANY DIFFERENT SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM NON MASK MANDATE AND MASK MANDATE AREAS OR PLACES.
SCHOOLS ARE NOT A MAJOR VECTOR.
FROM ALL THE STUDIES WE'VE SEEN, WE'VE SEEN THAT THE TRANSMISSION OCCURS MORE LIKELY OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL THAN IN.
AND THE OTHER VECTOR IS, DO YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW MANY KIDS FROM ZERO TO 18 HAVE DIED OF THIS? THREE HUNDRED SIXTY ONE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNA ROYALE.
WHEN WE FIRST CAME BEFORE YOU TWO WEEKS AGO FOR BETTER SAFETY PROTOCOLS, YOU SAID
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YOUR HANDS WERE TIED.SO I, ON BEHALF OF MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS, SUED GOVERNOR ABBOTT AND WE WON.
IN TRAVIS COUNTY THEY WON, IN BEXAR COUNTY THEY WON, IN HARRIS COUNTY THEY HAVE WON, AND YOUR HANDS ARE NO LONGER TIED.
THE SCIENTISTS HAVE ALSO DONE THEIR JOB MASK MANDATES IN 15 STATES PREVENTED 200000 CASES OF COVID IN JUST 30 DAYS.
FIVE UNIVERSITIES HAVE PROJECTED THAT WITHOUT MASKS, 80 PERCENT OF UNVACCINATED CHILDREN WILL BE INFECTED WITH COVID BEFORE OCTOBER.
WITHOUT UNIVERSAL MASKING IN SCHOOLS, WHICH IS WHY THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS LAST WEEK AND THE CDC RECOMMEND UNIVERSAL MASKING IN SCHOOLS REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS.
THE LAW IS ON YOUR SIDE OF MASKS.
THE SCIENCE IS ON THE SIDE OF MASKS.
AND NOW IT'S YOUR JOB TO BE ON THE SIDE OF MASKS.
I HAVE THE RESEARCH RIGHT HERE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT BACK FOR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RAGAN GLOVER.
HI, I AM A PLANO ISD GRADUATE AND I HAVE A KINDERGARTNER AND A SECOND GRADER IN PISD.
PLEASE GIVE PARENTS THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE WHETHER THEIR CHILD WEARS A MASK.
AS A PARENT, MY FAMILY'S HEALTH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DECIDE WHAT IS SAFE FOR MY CHILDREN AND WHAT IS IN THEIR BEST INTERESTS, NOT THE GOVERNMENT.
IN ADDITION, THE CLOTH FACE MASK THAT MOST CHILDREN WEAR ARE NOT PROVEN TO PREVENT COVID 19.
NOT ONLY ARE THEY INEFFECTIVE, BUT THEY ARE HARMFUL TO MY CHILDREN'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.
LET OUR KIDS BE KIDS AND BE ABLE TO SEE EACH OTHER'S EXPRESSIONS.
HUG ONE ANOTHER HERE, ONE ANOTHER, AND BREATHE FRESH AIR.
THIS IS HOW WE ARE MEANT TO LIVE AND HAVE COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR FRIENDS AND OUR TEACHERS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RUBY SEVERE.
DEAR BOARD MEMBERS, MY NAME IS RUBY, I AM NINE YEARS OLD IN THIRD GRADE, AND I GO TO SHEPHERD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
HERE ARE MY REASONS WHY I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A MASK.
I CAN'T SEE MY FRIENDS OR TEACHERS SMILE AND THEY CAN'T SEE MINE.
MY SISTER CAN'T READ LIPS, NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO.
I GET HEADACHES FROM MY MASK AND FEEL BAD BY THE END OF THE DAY.
IT'S REALLY HOT UPSIDE WHEN WEARING A MASK.
MY FRIENDS DROP THEM ON THE FLOOR AND STEP ON THEM AND THEN WEAR THEIR MASK.
MY SCHOOL, ALL MY FRIENDS ALSO USE THEIR MASKS AS NAPKINS.
AT SCHOOL, YOU NEVER GET A MASK BREAK.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT SAID, I DON'T HAVE TO.
HE SAID AT LEAST ANYONE UNDER 10 YEARS OLD DID NOT HAVE TO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DIANE ANDREWS AND THEN AFTER DIANE IS JOHN STAFFORD.
IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND ANNOUNCE THE NEXT FOUR OR FIVE NAMES OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE JERI CHAI, WILLIAM JARVIS AND AARON HILL.
AND I WOULD ASK IF YOU'RE STILL ON THE LIST TO SPEAK, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE BE READY, AND IF YOU CAN LINE IF YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF, YOU'LL BE READY BY THE DOORS.
I HAVE A NINE YEAR OLD WHO DID GO TO PLANO ISD.
I HAD TO TAKE HIM OUT OF PLANO ISD BECAUSE I REFUSED FOR HIM TO WEAR A MASK.
IN ADDITION TO ME PAYING SCHOOL TAXES, I'M ALSO PAYING FOR PRIVATE SCHOOL NOW.
HIS GRADES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF.
HE'S ON THE A HONOR ROLL NOW BECAUSE OF THE BETTER EDUCATION HE'S GETTING.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO TELL ME TO TELL MY SON TO WEAR A MASK.
IF YOU WANT TO WEAR A MASK, WEAR A MASK.
IF THEY PREVENT YOUR CHILD FROM GETTING SICK AND YOU NEED TO FEEL SAFE, PLEASE WEAR YOUR MASK.
BUT KIDS ARE GETTING MOLD INFECTIONS IN THEIR LUNGS.
THEY'RE GETTING RASHES, ACNE, STAPH INFECTIONS.
THEY'RE CONTINUALLY COMING BACK.
KIDS ARE AT ALMOST ZERO RISK OF COVID.
AND THE MASK IS CAUSING FEAR AND ANXIETY IN KIDS.
KIDS ARE SEEING UNMASK KIDS AS HAVING GERMS AND BEING AFRAID TO COME AROUND AND PLAY WITH THEIR FRIENDS.
NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN STAFFORD.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE MANDATE MASKS AS LONG AS THE CDC RATES THE COMMUNITY
[01:05:06]
TRANSMISSION IN COLLIN COUNTY AS HIGH.TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND IS THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
1900 CHILDREN HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED.
ELEVEN OF THOSE CHILDREN HAVE DIED IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS.
THERE ARE ZERO AVAILABLE ICU BEDS FOR CHILDREN HERE IN TRAUMA SERVICE E.
WHEN RYLAN DELATE AGE 12, NEEDED TO BE HOSPITALIZED, HE HAD TO BE AIRLIFTED DOWN TO CHILDREN'S MEMORIAL HERMANN IN HOUSTON, TEXAS.
CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR RYLAND.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS [INAUDIBLE] CHAI.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR MASK MANDATE [INAUDIBLE] IF I CAN, I WILL ASK FOR TESTING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, LIKE THE TEXAS SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING, ALL VACCINES FOR KIDS UNDER 12 DAILY TESTING AND THE MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT.
[INAUDIBLE] THEY TESTED POSITIVE LIKE THE TEXAS GOVERNOR, [INAUDIBLE] THEY THEY WANT TO PROTECT THEMSELVES.
YOU KNOW, SOCIAL DISTANCING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR SCHOOL KIDS.
AND IT WAS A REGULAR TESTING WITH COST.
TOO MUCH VACCINES AND MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY TREATMENT NOT AVAILABLE FOR KIDS UNDER 12.
MASKS ARE THE ONLY LOW-COST MOST EFFECTIVE PROTECTION FOR KIDS FROM COVID, PLEASE.
MY NINE YEAR OLD ASKED ME MANY TIMES, MOM, DO YOU HAVE TO DO THIS? HE'S WORRIED ABOUT ME BECAUSE HE KNOWS HOW NERVOUS I CAN BE TO SPEAK IN PUBLIC.
I WANT TO PROTECT HIM AND HIS FRIENDS AND OUR KIDS ARE FULLY [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE MANDATE MASKS.
COVID IS PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE, IT IS A PANDEMIC, MASK ARE THE ONLY WEAPON OUR KIDS HAVE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS WILLIAM JARVIS.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
YOU HAVE A TOUGH DECISION TO MAKE, AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY TO YOU IS A COUPLE OF THINGS I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD UPHOLD THE EXECUTIVE ORDER, BUT BY THE GOVERNOR, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW EACH OF OUR FAMILIES TO MAKE A PERSONAL CHOICE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
AND I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BRING TO YOU RECOMMENDATIONS.
WE SEE RECOMMENDATIONS EVERYWHERE.
THE BOARD HAS RECOMMENDED WEARING MASK, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S RECOMMENDED AT MY PLACE OF WORK AS WELL.
ONE OF THE THINGS WITH RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE NEED TO KNOW IS THAT WHEN WE DO THAT FOR OUR CHILDREN, WE ALWAYS GENERALLY TELL THEM THE INHERENT RISK INVOLVED WITH THAT RECOMMENDATION AND THE BENEFITS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT TO YOU, AS I WAS WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS OF MCMILLAN WITH MY 14 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN HIGH SCHOOL, THERE WAS A LOT OF GREAT REASONS AS TO WHY YOU SHOULD WEAR A MASK AND FUN THINGS.
THE ONE THING THAT WASN'T POSTED WAS THE INHERENT RISK.
AND I WOULD ASK THAT YOU TAKE THE TIME TO ADJUST THAT AND YOU CAN ROLL YOUR EYES AT ME, BUT THAT'S THE EXACT FACT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU FOR SMILING.
AND OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AARON HILL.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ALLOW ME TO READ THE WARNING LABEL ON MY DAUGHTER'S BOX OF MASK, WHICH SHE WORE TO SCHOOL LAST YEAR.
WARNING THIS MASK DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE RISK OF CONTRACTING ANY INFECTION OR DISEASE.
PUTTING KIDS IN THESE MASK WILL DO NOTHING TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID 19 IN OUR SCHOOLS.
DR. BONSER, WHEN YOUR IDEA TO GIVE PARENTS A CHOICE, ENROLL IN A VIRTUAL OPTION.
NOW THAT'S AN IDEA TO VOTE ON.
LET THE PARENTS WHO ARE SCARED KEEP THEIR KIDS AT HOME WHILE STILL BEING ENROLLED IN PLANO ISD.
AND WHEN THE SUPREME COURT OF TEXAS OVERRULED THE TRAVIS COUNTY RULING THAT YOU'RE USING TO PUSH THIS THROUGH, YOU'LL HAVE TO WALK BACK YOUR MASK MANDATE OR YOU WILL BE BREAKING THE LAW.
YOU KNOW IT, I KNOW IT, AND YOUR LAWYERS KNOW IT.
DO YOU KNOW CHILDREN WERE RUNNING LAPS IN P.E.
LAST YEAR WHILE WEARING MASKS? MY DAUGHTER ALMOST PASSED OUT.
ARE YOU READY TO ASSUME LEGAL LIABILITY WHEN SHE DOES? AND I SUE.
WHY DO YOU GET TO PICK AND CHOOSE EXECUTIVE ORDERS? THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMANDA FINNEY, AMANDA FINNEY.
I'M AMANDA FINNEY, A PARENT OF A FIRST GRADER IN PISD.
[01:10:07]
MANY PEOPLE HERE ARE NOT PARENTS IN PISD.PARENTS ARE DEEPLY AND LEGITIMATELY CONCERNED TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL WITHOUT A MASK MANDATE DURING THE CURRENT DELTA VARIANT SURGE.
THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT PROVIDED A WAY FOR YOU TO LEGALLY MANDATE MASKS ON PISD CAMPUSES, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS FOR EVERYONE MEDICALLY ABLE TO WEAR A MASK.
YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CDC, AAP AND A LOCAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
MASKS HELP KEEP KIDS AND THE PERSONNEL HEALTHY IN SCHOOL AND IN PISD.
MASKS ARE A SMALL ACT WITH BIG REWARDS.
PLEASE USE YOUR POWER RESPONSIBLY AND WITH INTEGRITY TO HELP CONTAIN THE PANDEMIC.
PLEASE VOTE FOR MASK MANDATES ON THE PISD CAMPUSES.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON OUR BOARD AND HEARING OUR COMMENTS.
AND AS SHE'S WALKING TO THE PODIUM AFTER LYDIA, WE HAVE ANNA FISIC .
MAC APPLE, JASON HULSEY AND SUZANNE JOHNSTON.
I AM HERE TO TELL YOU THREE THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, ANYONE THAT'S 18 YEARS OLD OR YOUNGER HAS AN NINETY NINE POINT NINE NINE EIGHT PERCENT CHANCE OF RECOVERING FROM COVID WITHOUT TREATMENT.
SO YOU HAVE TO SEE THAT THAT MEANS THERE IS NO COMPELLING REASON.
THERE IS NO NECESSARY MEDICAL NEED FOR THE AGE GROUP THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
MAYBE THE DELTA VARIANT IS IMPORTANT TO THE PARENTS, BUT YOUR DECISION MAKING IS FOR THE KIDS, NOT THE PARENTS.
AND THEY ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS.
AND AS YOU HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN, I WON'T REPEAT IT.
I DO HOPE YOU TEACH BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS AT THESE SCHOOLS AND THAT I KNOW AS ELECTED OFFICIALS YOU DO YOUR BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS, BUT ALSO YOU SHOULD DO IT FOR THIS SITUATION.
WE DON'T NEED MASK THE ONUS OF FINDING OUT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNA FRISIC.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, AND I THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR US AND OUR KIDS.
WE'RE SURE YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WHAT'S THE BEST FOR EVERYONE AS YOU ARE MAKING THIS COMPLEX DECISION PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION MILLIONS OF YEARS OF HUMAN EVOLUTION.
OUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION AS A SOCIETY DEPENDS ON CRITICAL SOCIAL SKILLS WE LEARN IN OUR CHILDHOOD.
ACCORDING TO DEVELOPMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY BOOK, MORE SOCIAL SKILLS ARE LEARNED BY REPETITIVE OBSERVATION AND CONNECTING VISUAL CUES SUCH AS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS TO ADDRESS SIGNALS, MASKS, FUNDAMENTALLY ALTERED FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.
PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SOCIALIZING AWAY FROM OUR KIDS.
LONG TERM PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MASK MANDATES IN KIDS ARE STILL UNKNOWN.
UNLIKE THE STATISTICS FOR COVID, WHICH DO NOT INDICATE ANY IMMEDIATE DANGER TO OUR YOUNG ONES.
HELLO, IT'S MARK, SORRY ABOUT THAT, BUT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IMPAIRED BRAIN FUNCTION AS WELL.
WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU BREATHE YOUR OWN CO2, YOU GET IMPAIRED BRAIN FUNCTIONS.
SOMEBODY ALREADY MENTIONED THAT TEST SCORES ARE GOING DOWN.
PLANO, IS THE CITY OF EXCELLENCE, WANT GOING TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN 21 POSITIONS ON THE NIH AND THE CDC ON MASK WEARING NO MASK AND MULTIPLE MASKS.
AND I'M GOING TO SPARE YOU READING THEM ALL TO YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT I HAVE THEM IF YOU'D LIKE THEM.
THE TYPICAL FROM THE NIH DIRECTOR WROTE THE TYPICAL MASK YOU BUY IN DRUGSTORES IS NOT EFFECTIVE IN KEEPING THE VIRUS OUT, WHICH IS SMALL ENOUGH TO PASS THROUGH THE MATERIAL.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO MANDATE A MASK, I WOULD SAY DOESN'T IT NEED TO BE MADE SURE THAT IT WORKS.
SUCH AS WHAT MATERIAL IS IT GOING TO BE REQUIRED? HOW IT FITS ON FACES, GAPS IN SPACES THAT WE KNOW DON'T WORK.
WHAT MATERIALS ARE SMALL ENOUGH TO FILTER THE AIR SIZE PARTICLES AS WELL? AND, YOU KNOW, SPAIN AND SWEDEN ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE.
THEY'VE 96 PERCENT COMPLIANCE IN SPAIN WITH ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY CASES PER HUNDRED K.
AND SWEDEN IS 12, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT, WE HAVE JASON HOLSEY, JASON HULSEY.
GO AHEAD AND ANNOUNCE THE NEXT HANDFUL AS WELL SO THEY CAN BE FILING IN.
CYNTHIA BRUGE, DERRICK ANTHONY, COLLEEN AGUILAR, JESSICA
[01:15:06]
SCURREN.JUNIOR YEAR IN A MASK MANDATED HIGH SCHOOL.
I NORMALLY LIKE SCHOOL, PARTICIPATING IN CLASS AND MEETING NEW PEOPLE, BEING AROUND MY PEERS.
LAST YEAR, TEACHERS HAD TO BEG US TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS WHEN CLASSMATES DID TALK.
I DIDN'T TALK IN ANY CLASS UNLESS I WAS FORCED TO BY A TEACHER.
SCHOOL WAS CLAUSTROPHOBIC AND ISOLATING.
I ONLY TALKED TO PEOPLE I ALREADY KNEW.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SCHOOL WAS DEPRESSING.
DRILL TEAM AND FOOTBALL PERFORMED IN CLOSE CONTACT WITHOUT MASKS.
BUT I HAD TO WEAR A MASK WHILE CARRYING A 40 POUND DRUM.
IN THE HEAT OUTSIDE IN A PARKING LOT.
WHICH ONE OF YOU CAME UP WITH THAT DOUBLE STANDARD? I SAW FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL WITHOUT MASKS.
IF YOU CAN'T CONTROL ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, CYNTHIA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MA'AM .
FOLKS, WE ARE BETTER THAN HALFWAY THROUGH.
YOU HAVE ALL BEEN RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S TIME.
YOU'VE ALL BEEN RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER.
WE'VE HAD VERY FEW INSTANCES OF OUTBREAKS OF ANY KIND OF SORT CELEBRATION OR WHAT.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY ELSE AND WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, TO STOP TALKING.
HELLO, LOOK AT US, WE'RE SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, AND MOST OF US ARE NOT WEARING A MASK.
WHY WOULD PEOPLE WHO ARE INSISTING THAT THEIR CHILDREN NEED TO WEAR A MASK ALL DAY BE SAFE IN THIS ROOM, THEY HAVE MASKS ON, BUT CONTEND THAT IF WE DON'T WEAR A MASK, THEY'RE NOT SAFE.
BUT THEY'VE BEEN IN HERE FOR THREE HOURS.
THE BEHAVIOR IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE REQUEST.
STUDIES SHOW THAT MASK DON'T KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE FROM COVID, AND NEITHER DOES THE VACCINE.
THE SOLUTION TO THIS COVID VIRUS IS TO TEACH EFFECTIVE EARLY TREATMENT PROTOCOLS SO THAT WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER WHEN WE GET IT.
WE'RE GOING TO GET COVID, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO GET IT.
WE NEED TO TEACH OUR SOCIETY HOW TO BARREL THROUGH IT.
THAT'S WHERE OUR EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE AS A DISTRICT, NOT MAKING OUR CHILDREN WEAR MASK EVERY DAY.
NEXT, WE HAVE DEREK ANTHONY, HELLO, MASK MANDATES ARE BASICALLY A NONSTARTER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
PER TEXAS EDUCATION CODE SECTION 37.0023 PROHIBITED AVERSIVE TECHNIQUES, SUBSECTION A78 SAYS WHAT'S PROHIBITED INCLUDES A TECHNIQUE OR INTERVENTION THAT IMPAIRS THE STUDENT'S BREATHING, INCLUDING ANY PROCEDURE, ANY PROCEDURE FOR ANY REASON, BY THE WAY, THAT INVOLVES OBSTRUCTING THE STUDENT'S AIRWAY, INCLUDING PLACING AN OBJECT IN, ON OR OVER THE STUDENT'S MOUTH OR NOSE, PLACING A MASK OVER THE STUDENT'S FACE.
ANY PROCEDURE FOR ANY REASON, NOT JUST BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO ASK, WHAT IS YOUR OATH? AND I DO NOT CONSENT.
COLLEEN AGUILAR AND AS SHE'S WORKING HER WAY UP, WE HAVE JESSICA SCARN, WADE ALER, MONICA MILLER, SOPHIA B., DILLON RAFFERTY.
THIS AGENDA ITEM ON THE PISD WEB SITE CONTAINS A LINK TO A CHART TITLED COVID NUMBERS, IN WHICH IT LISTS NUMBERS IN AUGUST.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF COVID NUMBERS? IS THAT POSITIVE TEST NUMBERS? IS THAT SYMPTOMATIC CASES? IS THAT HOSPITALIZATION? IS THAT DEATHS? THAT CHART IS NOT ONLY NOT SCIENTIFIC, IT IS AT BEST MISLEADING.
IF THESE CLOTH MASK WORK, THEN MASKED CHILDREN WOULD BE PROTECTED FROM THOSE WHO THEN MASK.
CHILDREN WOULD BE PROTECTED FROM THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO WEAR THEM.
IF THEY DON'T WORK, THEN WHY ARE PEOPLE WEARING THEM? HOW WOULD YOU ENFORCE A MASK MANDATE WITHOUT TREMENDOUS LEGAL REPERCUSSIONS TO THE DISTRICT? IF YOU WANT TO OFFER VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO ARE
[01:20:02]
CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS, I'M FINE WITH SPENDING WHATEVER YOU NEED SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT CHOICE.BUT DON'T TAKE AWAY OUR CHOICE AND DON'T IMPLEMENT ANY KIND OF POLICIES THAT WOULD DISCRIMINATE AGAINST OR SEGREGATE THOSE.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO YOUR COMMUNITY TODAY.
I'M A PARENT WITH A KINDERGARTNER AT CARLISLE ELEMENTARY, AND I GOT TO TELL YOU, I LOVE THAT SCHOOL.
SHE'S BEEN IN THERE FOR ONLY A WEEK AND THEY ARE SO AWESOME.
HER PRINCIPAL MEETS HER AT THE DOOR AND TELLS HER, WE LOVE YOU.
I MET THE PRINCIPAL, I MET THE TEACHER, AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT OUR DECISION IS.
THEY'RE ACTIVELY TELLING HER EVERY DAY THAT WHETHER OR NOT SHE WEARS A MASK, SHE'S PART OF THAT COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU CHANGE THAT AND SHE GOES BACK, I DON'T KNOW HOW I WILL EXPLAIN THAT TO HER, THAT IT MATTERED LAST WEEK.
BUT NOW WHAT HER TEACHERS SAID ARE NOT TRUE, THAT THEY LIED TO HER, THAT SHE'S LOSING THAT TRUST ONE WEEK INTO HER EDUCATION.
WADE AYLER, MONICA MILLER IS UP NEXT.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, I KNOW IT'S A THANKLESS JOB.
I'M HERE SUPPORTING MASK CHOICE, JUST LIKE YOU WERE ENJOYING RIGHT NOW.
I AM AGAINST MASK MANDATES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THIS IS A VERY EMOTIONAL TOPIC.
AND THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE THAT WILL SAY THAT I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE HEALTH OF OTHERS, BUT I'VE ADOPTED A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD FROM CHINA WHO'S HAS HAD EIGHT SURGERIES SO FAR.
AND I'M ALSO A KIDNEY DONOR, THAT SHOULD DISPEL THAT MYTH.
MASK ARE DETRIMENTAL TO KID'S HEALTH.
DON'T BE BULLIED BY THE EMOTIONAL MOB.
LOOK AT THE FACTS AND THE DATA REGARDING INFECTION RATES, SEVERITY OF SYMPTOMS AND FATALITY RATES FOR CHILDREN.
THE NEGATIVES FAR OUTWEIGH THE POSITIVES FOR CHILDREN.
IF YOU WERE IN FAVOR FOR STUDENTS BEING MASKED FOR 2020 WHEN THE RISK OF DEATH WAS HIGHER AND FOR CHILDREN JUST FROM THE FLU THEN MANDATE AWAY.
OTHERWISE YOU'RE BEING HYPOCRITICAL AND PARTICIPATING IN POLITICAL THEATER.
IF YOU TRY TO MANDATE MASK NOW.
IF YOU MANDATE MASK, WILL YOU BE SUPPLYING? YOUR TIME IS UP, SIR.
NEXT, WE HAVE MONICA MILLER, SOPHIA BEE, DILLON RAFFERTY, APRIL HARPER.
HI, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
WELL, AS YOU HAVE HEARD MANY OPINIONS, MANY OF US EMAILED YOU OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS.
MANY STUDIES, OVER 40 STUDIES, INCLUDING ONE FROM CDC, ALL CONCLUDING THE MASK HAVE NO EFFECT ON STOPPING THE SPREAD OF COVID 19.
IN ADDITION, THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 STUDIES SHOWING NEGATIVE HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS ON PROLONGED BY SWEATING IN CHILDREN.
YOU HAD WEEKS, IF NOT MONTHS, TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THAT TOPIC AND TO BE IGNORANT TO ALL THIS IT'S INEXCUSABLE.
THAT SAID, PROPOSING A MASK MANDATE IS CHILD ABUSE UNDER THE COLOR OF ENFORCEMENT OF LAW, MANDATING A MEDICAL DEVICE AS PRACTICING MEDICINE WITHOUT LICENSE, WHICH IS ALSO PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
SHAME ON YOU FOR EVEN CONSIDERING ABUSING OUR CHILDREN.
SOPHIA BEE IS NEXT, DYLAN RAFFERTY, APRIL HARPER, DEENA RODGERS AND CARRIE WHEDON.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW, BY NOW THAT MASK DO NOT PROVIDE PROTECTION AGAINST COVID.
IT SAYS SO ON THE BOX AND ON THE CDC WEBSITE, THEN I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU LIVING PROOF OF HOW MASK EFFECT KIDS [INAUDIBLE] I CAN TELL YOU THAT MASK NEGATIVELY IMPACT KIDS ABILITY TO FOCUS AND LEARN.
WE CAN'T HEAR OUR TEACHERS AND OUR TEACHERS CAN'T HEAR US.
THE MASK IS ITCHY, IT'S SWEATY, IT SMELLS BAD, MAKES US TIRED AND YOU CAN STOP THINKING ABOUT GETTING IN TROUBLE FOR IT FALLING DOWN.
THE MASK DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
AS A COMPETITIVE SWIMMER, I CAN TELL YOU THAT AFTER RUNNING 80 LAPS IN P.E.
WITH MY MASK ON I THOUGHT NAUSEA AND LIGHTHEADED.
MASK MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO SOCIALIZE.
IF YOU CAN'T SEE YOUR FRIENDS FACE, YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE HAPPY OR SAD.
FOR US YOUNG KIDS, THE MASK MAKE IT EASIER TO SAY SOMETHING MEAN, WHICH THEN LEADS TO BULLYING.
YOUR DECISION SHOULD FIGHT BULLYING, NOT ENCOURAGE IT.
MASK TAKE THE FUN OF SCHOOL AWAY AND MAKE LEARNING DIFFICULT.
YOUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE MY SCHOOL PROVIDES ME WITH RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
PLEASE MAKE MS. OPTIONAL SO WE, THE STUDENTS CAN EXCEL IF LEAVE THE MASK DECISION TO MY DOCTOR AND PARENTS, THANK YOU, DYLAN RAFFERTY.
[01:25:07]
HELLO, EVERYONE MY NAME IS DYLAN RAFFERTY, AND I AM A DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST LIVING RIGHT HERE IN PLANO.YOU KNOW, PLANO ISD IS HERE TO PROTECT AND SERVE ALL STUDENTS, INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
AND I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE MANY FAMILIES THAT CANNOT BE HERE TODAY THAT WANT TO BE HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE ISSUE OF MASK.
THEY WANT TO HAVE MASK HERE TODAY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THE [AUDIBLE] TO GO TO SCHOOL AND LEARN.
YES, MASK IS A, AN ADDED LAYER OF PROTECTION, BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES AS SOMEONE WHO'S DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING.
I KNOW THE CHALLENGES FIRSTHAND, AND THAT'S WHY I HAVE A CLEAR MASK HERE TODAY.
IT'S JUST ONE LEVEL, A LITTLE EXAMPLE, THAT THERE IS A WAY WE CAN ACCOMMODATE OURSELVES.
AT THE ADA, THERE'S WAY WE CAN ACCOMMODATE IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION, YOU DON'T NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE A MASK DUE TO ACCOMMODATION.
SO THAT'S [INAUDIBLE] HERE TODAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NEXT, WE HAVE APRIL HARPER, APRIL HARPER, DENA ROGERS.
COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, I STUMBLED ACROSS A QUOTE, "EVERY DISASTER MOVIE STARTS WITH THE GOVERNMENT IGNORING A SCIENTIST".
I THINK THAT'S PRETTY APT FOR US TO LISTEN TO TODAY.
I'M THE MOM OF TWO STINSON ELEMENTARY FOURTH GRADERS, A PLANO EAST JUNIOR AND ANOTHER SON WHO'S ALREADY GRADUATED.
WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR OWN DISASTER MOVIE, AND THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO LISTEN TO THE SCIENTISTS AND THE PEDIATRICIANS.
LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, WHOSE NEARLY 70000 MEMBERS HAVE CALLED ON SCHOOLS TO ENFORCE UNIVERSAL MASKING MANDATES.
DO WE WANT PEDIATRICIANS OR PEOPLE IN PATRIOTIC GEAR MAKING OUR OWN CHOICES FOR US? I THINK THE ANSWER IS CLEAR.
YOU'VE GOT LOUD VOICES HERE PARROTING FREEDOM, BUT FREEDOM TO CHOOSE DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE THE FREEDOM TO INFECT ME OR MY CHILDREN.
YOU WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT ME.
IT'S ABOUT THE MOST AMERICAN THING WE CAN ALL DO, AND IT'S THE ONLY OPTION THAT MAKES SENSE.
CARRIE WHEADON, AND AS KERRY'S MAKING HER WAY, WE HAVE ALBERTO LAN, IAN CHAN, REBECCA FERMÃN AND KATIE REINHARD, NEXT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CARRIE WHEADON, AND I HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO GO TO PLANO, PLANO ISD SCHOOLS.
TWO OF THEM, THEY GO TO SKAGS ELEMENTARY, AND LAST YEAR THEY WENT FACE TO FACE AT SCHOOL AND THEY HAD TO WEAR MASKS AND THEY CAME HOME WITH HEADACHES EVERY DAY.
THEY CAME HOME WITH HEADACHES EVERY DAY.
THEY WERE CRYING WHEN THEY WOULD TALK TO ME ABOUT IT.
MY DAUGHTER SAID SHE COULDN'T BREATHE VERY WELL AND THAT WAS SCARY TO HER.
BUT THEY'RE RULE FOLLOWERS, SO THEY KEPT THEIR MASKS ON THE WHOLE TIME.
YOU KNOW, I WAS REALLY HARD ON THEM.
EVERY DAY I HAD TO WHEN I DROPPED THEM OFF, I HAD TO LOOK IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND WATCH THEM GO IN WITH THEIR MASKS ON.
AND I JUST KNEW IT WAS WRONG, AND BUT I HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM GETTING AN EDUCATION AND BEING AROUND OTHER KIDS AND THEN OR THEM BEING AT HOME AND LEARNING, AND AND I FELT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO GO IN PERSON.
SO MY POINT OF THIS IS AND SAYING IS THAT THEY ARE GOING FACE TO FACE THIS YEAR.
THEY ARE NOT WORKING MASK AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO NOT WEAR MASK.
ARBORIO LYNN, HI, GOOD MORNING.
I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT HERE IN PLANO FOR 13 YEARS, I HAVE THREE YOUNG CHILDREN AT PISD SCHOOLS.
I'M ALSO A PHYSICIAN HERE AT A MAJOR HOSPITAL, AND WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A VERY CLEAR COVID SURGE.
YOU SPENT A FEW MINUTES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND IT'S CLEAR THAT EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR A CLEAR BLACK OR WHITE ANSWER IN HOW TO HANDLE COVID.
BUT LIKE MOST SITUATIONS OF MEDICINE, THE ANSWER LIES SOMEWHERE IN THE GRAY AREA.
ULTIMATELY, THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF OF ADVERSE OUTCOMES AS BEST AS WE CAN AND WE HAVE TOOLS FOR THAT.
VACCINATION, WHICH IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ONLY TO THOSE 12 AND OVER, CLEARLY REDUCES MORTALITY, BUT IS NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT EFFECTIVE.
MASK IS THE ISSUE AT HAND TODAY, WHICH IS AVAILABLE TO ALL AGES.
THEY DO REDUCE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT 100 PERCENT EFFECTIVE.
MY PERSONAL REQUEST IS THAT YOU CONSIDER MASK MANDATES ONLY FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS, UNTIL TWO MONTHS AFTER VACCINES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THAT AGE GROUP, FOR THOSE 11 AND UNDER.
CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS WATCHING AND OBSERVING.
THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MODEL THEM HOW TO COME TOGETHER.
[01:30:03]
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.I'M HERE FOR THE PARENTAL CHOICE.
SO ON ONE POINT EIGHT MILLION KIDS IN SWEDEN, ZERO DEATHS FROM COVID, NO LOCKDOWN, NO MASK, NO SOCIAL DISTANCING.
SO WHY WAS THERE A COVID SURGE BACK IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY WHEN MASK MANDATE WAS STILL IN PLACE IN U.S..
PELOSI'S WEEKEND FUNDRAISING MEANT NO MASK ON THE RICH ONLY MASK ON THE SERVANTS.
FOLLOW WHAT THEY DO, NOT WHAT THEY SAY.
SO WE ALL HEARD 99 PERCENT UNVACCINATED HOSPITALIZED.
PARENTS USE THIS TO ARGUE FOR A MASK MANDATE.
LATER ON, CDC DIRECTOR HERSELF CLARIFIED THAT THIS DATA IS FROM JANUARY THROUGH JUNE NOT WHICH DOES NOT REPRESENT CURRENT DELTA VARIANT.
SO HOW ABOUT SOME SOLUTIONS? MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE MORE OUTDOOR PE CLASSES K THROUGH 12 ON A DAILY BASIS, AN HOUR A DAY.
AND THE PARENTS PLEASE NOT SEND YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT, WE HAVE REBECCA FERMÃN AFTER REBECCA, WE HAVE KATIE REINHARD, L.
HI, THIS VIRUS HAS A DIAMETER OF 60 TO 140 NANOMETERS, NONMEDICAL AND MEDICAL FACE MASK SPREAD DIAMETER RANGES FROM 55 TO 440 MICROMETERS.
THIS MEANS THAT THE VIRUS IS ABOUT 1000 TIMES SMALLER THAN THE THREAD HOLES IN ANY MASK AND CAN EASILY PASS THROUGH THOSE MASKS.
I FEEL LIKE THAT THIS IS NOT BASED ON SCIENCE.
BUT WE NOW KNOW WHAT TYPE OF VIRUS IT IS.
WE NOW KNOW THAT IT CAN PASS THROUGH ANY MASK.
WE NOW KNOW THAT IT HAS ANIMAL RESERVOIRS, WHICH MEANS WE CANNOT JUST GET RID OF IT.
FEARS CAUSED BULLYING, SHAMING, AND KIDS BEING DEGRADED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
IT HAS CAUSED SKIN INFECTIONS, HEADACHES, BACTERIAL INFECTIONS, DEPRESSION, ISOLATION AND SUICIDE.
YOU CANNOT SAY THIS IS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR KIDS BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT OK FOR OUR RIGHTS AS PARENTS TO BE TAKEN AWAY.
PLEASE ALLOW EACH FAMILY TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR THEMSELVES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATY REINHARD.
GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS KATIE REINHARD, AND I AM A PISD PARENT.
I'M HERE TO REQUEST THAT YOU OPPOSE ANY MASK MANDATES FOR PISD.
THE SCIENCE AND DATA DO NOT SUPPORT THE USE OF MASK IN CHILDREN.
KIDS ARE THE LOWEST RISK AND MY BOYS PERSONALLY HAD ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS WHEN THEY HAD TO WEAR THEM ALL DAY LONG LAST YEAR, EVEN WHILE OUTSIDE AND SOCIAL DISTANCING.
MY OLDER SON CAME HOME ALMOST EVERY DAY WITH HEADACHES, SOMETIMES SEVERE AND EXCESSIVE TIREDNESS.
WHILE MY YOUNGER SON HAD HEADACHES ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK AND NAUSEA.
THIS KEPT THEM FROM DOING THEIR BEST IN SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSTANTLY FIGHTING FATIGUE.
NOT EVERY CHILD DOES WELL WEARING A MASK.
I AM IN FAVOR OF PARENTAL CHOICE.
PARENTS KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHOOSE WHETHER OR NOT IT IS HEALTHY FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO WEAR A MASK.
MASK SHOULD REMAIN OPTIONAL, NOT MANDATED.
PLEASE ALLOW PARENTAL CHOICE WHEN IT COMES TO THE KIDS WEARING A MASK, THANK YOU.
L HOLLAND, AND THEN SHARON WILL, SHELBY WILLIAMS, RACHEL ELLIOTT AND CATHERINE WOODMANSEE.
YOU'LL PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TOWARDS INSIDE THE ROOM IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY IN.
HELLO BOARD, GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
MANY PEOPLE ARE CONSUMED BY FEAR, I DON'T BLAME YOU AS THE MEDIA SCREAMS SENSATIONAL HEADLINES LIKE VULNERABLE CHILDREN AT RISK AND TEXAS CHILDREN UNDER SIEGE.
WHERE WERE THESE HEADLINES IN OUR SHORT 2019-2019 FLU SEASON, WHICH CAUSED FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SEVEN OF OUR SWEET KIDS TO DIE? WEREN'T THEY EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT? NO ONE PROTESTING HERE AT THE SCHOOL ABOUT MASKS.
THE ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS REPORTS A DEATH RATE FOR CHILDREN WITH COVID AT ZERO POINT ZERO ZERO PERCENT THROUGH ZERO POINT ZERO THREE PERCENT.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE FLU MORTALITY RATE IS FOR CHILDREN? IT'S ZERO POINT FOUR PERCENT FOR FIVE TO 17 YEAR OLDS, CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN COVID.
DO NOT BE BULLIED AND DO NOT BE COERCED BOARD INTO MAKING THE DECISION, THAT MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER, PLEASE, I URGE YOU TO FOLLOW THE DATA.
RAYNA FRISBEE, REYNA FRISBEE, THEN SHARON WILL, SHELBY WILLIAMS.
[01:35:11]
ALL RIGHT, THIS IS A LAST CALL FOR RAYNA FRISBEE.HI, I HAVE A GRANDCHILD WHO LIVES WITH ME, WHO ATTENDS PLANO ISD SCHOOLS.
LAST YEAR WHEN THEY HAD THE MASK MANDATE, HE CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY WITH A HEADACHE.
YOU TURNED A HAPPY GO LUCKY CHILD INTO A HERMIT.
I CAN'T STAND THE LACK OF MENTAL HEALTH THAT YOU GUYS ARE PUSHING AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF IF YOU PUSH MASK MANDATES.
THEY DON'T NEED MASK MANDATES, MASK ARE SOMETHING A PARENT SHOULD DECIDE, NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD THANK YOU.
SHELBY WILLIAMS, THEN WE'LL HAVE RACHEL ELLIOT.
CATHERINE WOODMANSEE, BEN NOM, KIP FLANDERS, AND NEXT UP IS SHELBY WILLIAMS, RACHEL ELLIOTT, KATHERINE WOODMANSEE.
GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS CATHERINE, AND I'VE BEEN TO PLANO RESIDENT FOR 34 YEARS.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR STATE, OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CHILDREN AND THESE MASK MANDATES ARE CORROSIVE TO OUR FREEDOM AND ABUSIVE TO OUR CHILDREN.
I HAVE THIS CRAZY NOTION THAT WE SHOULD THINK CRITICALLY, ASK QUESTIONS AND RESEARCH THOROUGHLY AS WE CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS VIRUS.
SO I HAVE, AND WHEN YOU DO A RISK BENEFIT ANALYSIS, THE SCIENCE SHOWS THAT THE HARM OF MASKS FAR OUTWEIGHS THEIR ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE BENEFITS FOR A VIRUS OF THIS MICRON SIZE.
MASKING CHILDREN FOR WHOM THIS VIRUS POSES VERY LITTLE THREAT DOES MORE SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HARM AND SPEAKS MORE TO THE IRRATIONAL ANTI-SCIENCE FEARS PUSHING IT.
WE SHOULD NEVER OPERATE OUR SCHOOLS BASED ON FEELINGS AND FEARS, BUT RATHER ON FACTS, TRUTH AND THE VALUES OF THIS GREAT COUNTRY, TWO OF WHICH ARE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
I ASKED YOU NOT TO MANDATE MASKS, INSTEAD, LET THOSE WHO WANT TO TRUST IN MASKS DO SO.
THOSE WHO WANT TO INSTEAD CHOOSE TESTED AND SUCCESSFUL WAYS TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN HEALTHY, DO THAT.
NEXT, WE HAVE BEEN BEN NOM, BEN NOM, KIP FLANDERS, ANNA SHENKAR, ANDREW FLANDERS, AMANDA MASSENGILL.
THAT IS THE NEXT LINEUP OF SPEAKERS.
GOOD MORNING, BOARD, I'M KIP FLANDERS, I'M A GRANDFATHER OF FOUR GRANDDAUGHTERS IN PLANO .
I'VE GOT A GRANDSON IN ROCKWALL AND A GRANDDAUGHTER IN ROCKWALL AS WELL.
I'VE GOT A SON AND DAUGHTER IN LAW THAT ARE HERE AND FIRST OF ALL, I HAD COVID, I WAS IN THE ICU FOR THREE WEEKS WITH A FIVE PERCENT CHANCE OF LIVING.
I SURVIVED, THANK YOU HOSPITAL, AND THANK YOU MEDICAL WORKERS.
AND I DO NOT BELIEVE IN A MANDATE FOR MASKS.
I THINK I'M EXPERIENCED ENOUGH OF HAVING THE VIRUS TO MAKE MY COMMENTS HERE.
IT'S NOT YOUR CHOICE ABOUT MY CHILDREN'S BODY, IT'S NOT YOUR CHOICE ABOUT MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S BODIES.
IT'S THEIR PARENTS' CHOICE, GUYS.
THERE IS A CDC STUDY THAT JUST CAME OUT AND SAID 30 PERCENT OF BABIES THAT ARE BEING RAISED IN MASKED ENVIRONMENTS, PARDON ME, BABIES BEING RAISED IN MASKED ENVIRONMENTS HAD A 30 PERCENT REDUCTION IN THEIR IQ.
IQ ARE FORMED IN THE FIRST TWO TO THREE YEARS OF LIFE, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW.
IF THAT'S HAPPENED TO BABIES, WHAT'S HAPPENING TO OUR KIDS RIGHT NOW? THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS IS A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF LEARNING FOR OUR KIDS AND FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, ANNA.
[INAUDIBLE] BOARD MEMBERS, FREEDOM, FREEDOM SHOULD BE USED TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY, ENDANGERING A COMMUNITY DEFINITELY IS NOT FREEDOM.
WE HAVE MANY KIDS, PARENTS, FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, IN MY FAMILY ALL ARE VACCINATED, AND OUR KIDS ARE GOING TO MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
MASK ONLY STOP SPREADING COVID, BUT IT DOES NOT STOP GETTING IT.
SO PLEASE MANDATE MASK FOR EVERYBODY AT SCHOOL.
MY KID, MY KIDS ARE MASKED AT SCHOOL.
BUT IF ONE OF MY KID GETS COVID BECAUSE OTHER KID [INAUDIBLE] DECIDED NOT TO WEAR THEIR MASK AT SCHOOL, MY KIDS MOST LIKELY WILL RECOVER FINE FROM IT.
BUT IF IF THEY PASS IT ON TO ME, I MAY NOT SURVIVE BECAUSE I AM
[01:40:08]
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND I WANT TO BE THERE FOR MY KIDS.I'M SURE THERE ARE MANY KIDS AND ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH IMMUNOCOMPROMISED WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED LIKE ME.
SO PLEASE USE YOUR FREEDOM TO TRY AND PROTECT.
NEXT, WE HAVE ANDREW FLANDERS, AMANDA MASSENGALE, JERI GERSTEINER, AND I MAY BE PRONOUNCING THESE WRONG I'M VERY SORRY IF I AM, JASON MORGAN.
GOOD MORNING, I'VE GOT FOUR DAUGHTERS AT BEVERLY ELEMENTARY.
AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT, I MEAN, MASK MANDATES ARE NOT 100 PERCENT CATCHALL.
YOU KNOW, MASK DON'T STOP EVERYBODY FROM GETTING COVID AND EVEN IF THEY DID, THIS BOARD LACKS THE AUTHORITY TO MANDATE THEM FOR EVERY CHILD IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
PEOPLE HERE, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO WEAR MASKS IF THEY WANT TO.
IF YOU WANT TO WEAR A MASK, FOLKS WEAR A MASK.
IF YOU MANDATE THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE TO WEAR A MASK IN SCHOOL, THEY WILL NOT COMPLY, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE THEIR DUTY AS PATRIOTIC AMERICANS.
THEY'RE FREE KIDS BUT WE WILL NOT COMPLY WITH THE MASK MANDATE.
I WILL PULL MY KIDS OUT OF THE SCHOOL, OUT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT THE MOMENT YOU MANDATE MASKS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMANDA MASSENGALE.
HELLO, NOW THAT THE TEA HAS DECLARED THEY WILL NOT BE ENFORCING ABBOTT'S ATTEMPT AT THE FUNDING EDUCATION AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL STEP IN TO MAKE SURE NO ISD SUFFERS A LOSS OF FUNDING DUE TO A MASK MANDATE, THE SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF RED TAPE IS OUT OF YOUR WAY.
NOT GOING TO PRETEND TO BE A GOOGLE SCIENTIST OR A GOOGLE PHYSICIAN UP HERE, BUT I WILL SHARE MY ANECDOTES AS OTHERS HAVE.
MY SEVEN AND EIGHT YEAR OLD TEND TO FORGET THAT THEIR MASK IS EVEN ON WHEN THEY GET IN THE CAR, DOES NOT BOTHER THEM.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME KIDS THAT IT DOES BOTHER AND SOME KIDS DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, EVEN LAST YEAR.
OK, SO WE FIGURED IT OUT LAST YEAR, WE ARE A SMART SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
IT IS TIME FOR A MASK MANDATE.
MASKS ARE EFFECTIVE WHEN EVERYBODY WEARS THEM.
THEY ARE LESS EFFECTIVE WHEN ONLY ONE PERSON IS WEARING THAT AND THE OTHER IS NOT AND THAT'S HOW THAT IS.
AND IT IS TRUE, [INAUDIBLE] SCIENCE, THANK YOU.
NEXT, WE HAVE TERRI GERSTNER THEN JASON MORGAN, AMY DUKE, JOHN DONOVAN.
GOOD MORNING, YOU WERE CLOSE, IT'S TERRY GERSTNER.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN HERE AT PISD AND THEY LOVE SCHOOL.
I WANT TO KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL AND CAN ONLY DO SO IF FREEDOM OF CHOICE IS UPHELD.
I'M TERRIFIED, I'M TERRIFIED THAT OUR PERSONAL FREEDOMS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY.
LET'S INSTEAD OF MANDATING MASK, LET'S START TEACHING THEM CLEANLINESS, GOOD NUTRITION AND HEALTHY HYGIENE, AND MOST OF ALL FREEDOM.
AS UNITED STATES CITIZENS, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE HERE TO LEARN AND BE.
MOST OF ALL, PLEASE VOTE FOR PERSONAL CHOICE AND HOLDING UP FREEDOM.
I AM HERE AS A TAXPAYER AND A MOM OF THREE KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF SEVEN WHO IS FIGHTING FOR THE FREEDOM OF PARENTS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CHILD SHOULD WEAR A MASK.
EVEN THOUGH WE PAY TAXES IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT, LAST YEAR, WE MOVED OUR KIDS TO ANOTHER SCHOOL IN PLANO THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE MASK.
EVEN SO, COVID HAS NOT BEEN AN ISSUE AT OUR SCHOOL.
CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONSISTENTLY ATTEND CLASS EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY HEALTHY, AND THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS ARE HEALTHY BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SUPPRESSED.
THIS YEAR, OUR SCHOOL HAS A RECORD HIGH ENROLLMENT, SO HIGH, 75 PLUS NEW STAFF MEMBERS WERE HIRED.
THIS IS BECAUSE PARENTS FEEL IT IS OUR PLACE, NOT SCHOOL OR GOVERNMENT, TO MAKE HEALTH DECISIONS FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THE MASK MANDATE IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
[01:45:02]
MY CHILD WILL NOT BE A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DON'T KNOW HOW IT WILL AFFECT THEM DOWN THE ROAD.EVERY PARENT IN THIS ROOM SHOULD HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DECIDE HOW THEIR CHILD SHOULD HAVE, WHETHER THEY SHOULD WEAR A MASK OR NOT.
AND ON ANOTHER NOTE, GOING AGAINST GOV.
ABBOTT'S NO MASK MANDATE IS ONLY PUSHING OUR CITY, STATE AND COUNTRY INTO MORE DIVISION, CHAOS AND LAWLESSNESS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, NEXT WE HAVE JOHN DONOVAN AND AFTER JOHN, WE HAVE RAVI [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU MA'AM, THANK YOU MA'AM, THANK YOU.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HANDED OUT COPIES TO Y'ALL OF FIVE PAGES THAT I PUT TOGETHER, FIRST PAGE SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL HAVE THAT.
OK, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, WANNA MAKE SURE YOU HAD IT.
OK, SO FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, I'LL TRY TO MAKE AS CLEAR AS I CAN.
WE'VE HEARD A LOT A LOT OF EMOTION, MORE FACTS ON ONE SIDE THAN ON THE OTHER, CLEARLY.
AND THIS COMES STRAIGHT OFF, THE FIRST PAGE YOU'RE SEEING IS OF WORLD O METER, WHICH TIES RIGHT IN AND MATCHES THE NUMBERS OFF THE TEXAS HEALTH SITE.
FIFTY FOUR THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN DEATHS OUT OF THREE MILLION FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY THREE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED FIVE CASES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IS ZERO POINT ZERO ONE SIX.
SO THERE IS A ONE POINT SIX PERCENT DEATH RATE, A NINETY EIGHT POINT FOUR PERCENT RECOVERY RATE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
ALL AGES, ALL ACROSS THE BOARD, THAT'S EVERYBODY IN NURSING HOMES DOWN TO ANYBODY.
COLLIN COUNTY, EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE DEATHS, ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE THOUSAND SIXTY ONE CASES.
GUESS WHAT? ONE POINT FIVE, NINE PERCENT.
SO WE'RE RIGHT IN LINE WITH THE OVERALL NUMBERS.
FIFTY ONE DEATHS, AGE ONE TWO NINE.
FIFTY ONE DEATHS IN THE WHOLE STATE OF TEXAS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBBIE, THANK YOU, [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR. DONOVAN, PLEASE.
NEXT SPEAKER, ROBBIE[INAUDIBLE], KAYLA COFFEE PROSE.
HI, MY NAME IS KAYLA COFFEY PROSE, I'M THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH IN DALLAS AND A PLANO RESIDENT AND A PARENT OF A PLANO ISD STUDENT.
AS A PASTOR, I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT LEADING THROUGH THESE DECISIONS IS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITY AND MAKING THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR EVERYONE ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION WE HAVE.
YOU'VE TAKEN ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY.
FIRST, TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, BUT ALSO TO PROTECT THEM WHILE DOING SO.
MASKS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN EVERYONE IS WEARING THEM.
PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES REQUIRE US TO ALL WORK TOGETHER.
IT'S MORE THAN PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY OR INDIVIDUAL CHOICE.
WE'RE ALL PART OF ONE COMMUNITY.
I ENTRUST MY CHILD TO YOUR CARE.
I NEED YOU TO DO EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NEXT SPEAKER IS DEBORAH BELEM, THEN JOHN MONTES, OLEDA PHILLIPS AND TOM ADARE.
HOWDY, THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING TO US.
MASKS WORK, THEY DON'T WORK TO KEEP VIRUSES OUT.
AS YOU'VE HEARD THE PARTICULARS ON HOW BIG THEY ARE, WHAT THEY WORK IS IN CREATING FEAR, SHAME, DIVISION, BLAME, BULLYING, INTIMIDATION, CONTROL AND COMPLIANCE.
IS THIS WHAT WE WANT TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN? I THINK NOT.
JAMA, THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, IT DID A STUDY ON CHILDREN AND IT MEASURED THE CARBON DIOXIDE LEVEL IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES.
THE CARBON DIOXIDE LEVEL WAS OVER 13000 PPM, WHICH IS MORE THAN SIX TIMES THE SAFE AMOUNT FOR PEOPLE TO BE BREATHING.
SO I PRAY FOR ALL OF YOU, YOU WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DECISION THAT YOU MAKE.
I PRAY THAT YOU WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FEAR OF GOD AND NOT THE FEAR OF MAN AND BIG GOVERNMENT AND BIG PHARMA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, JOHN MONTEZ .
THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, UNFORTUNATELY, OUR LEADERS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR AND POLITICAL LEADERS HAVE ALLOWED THE DEBATE ON MASK AND THE SOUND GUIDANCE TO BECOME MUDDIED AND POLITICIZED, AND IT'S BEING USED TO DIVIDE US AND EXERT CONTROL.
IF OUR LEADERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT STICK TO THE EVIDENCE AND WHAT WE KNOW, STICK TO THE CLEAR UNPOLITIZED GUIDANCE, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THE MOMS, THE DADS, THE HARD WORKING, LAW ABIDING AMERICANS, THE PROFESSIONALS, BUSINESS
[01:50:01]
OWNERS, LEADERS IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTOR WILL OVERWHELMINGLY MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND DO THE RIGHT THING.WE WOULD BE UNITED, WE WOULD NOT BE DIVIDED.
WE'D HAVE MORE PEOPLE DOING THE RIGHT THING AND TOGETHER ERADICATING COVID.
THERE'S LEADERSHIP THAT WANTS TO DIVIDE US IN SEVERAL CASES.
MASK DO NOT PROTECT US FROM THE TINY PARTICLES OF THE VIRUS, WHICH GO RIGHT THROUGH THE MATERIAL.
MASK DIVIDE US, AND AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID ALREADY, YOU ALL DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO TELL PARENTS WHETHER THEIR CHILDREN SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WEAR MASKS AT SCHOOL ALL DAY LONG.
AND YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING WHEN THEY HAVE MASK ON.
I DON'T KNOW HOW A TEACHER CAN TEACH WITH A MASK ON.
I'M A RETIRED TEACHER AND THERE'S NO WAY, I WOULD HAVE TO RESIGN IF I WERE TEACHING TODAY.
YOU CAN'T DO YOUR JOB AS A TEACHER WITH A MASK ON.
CHILDREN SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE RESTRICTED THAT WAY ALL DAY LONG.
AND YOU KNOW, IT'S EITHER, AS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SAID, FEAR AND CONTROL, WHICH MASK DO ENGENDER OUR FREEDOM AND COMMON SENSE AND WE'RE FIGHTING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR LAST SPEAKER, THANK YOU, MA'AM, TOM ADAIR.
BOARD MEMBERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, MY NAME IS TOM ADAIR, AND AT LEAST SOME OF YOU KNOW THAT I LOST MY DAD TO COVID LAST YEAR.
OVER 30 HOURS MY SISTERS AND I WERE ON THE PHONE TO HIS HOSPITAL ROOM.
WE HEARD HIM STRUGGLING TO BREATHE AND WE HEARD HIM SLOWLY SUFFOCATE TO DEATH.
SO THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IS A SIMPLE ONE.
ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW THE SCIENCE AND HELP PLANO ISD STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND FAMILIES AVOID GOING THROUGH WHAT MY FAMILY WENT THROUGH? MASKS WORK TO STOP THE SPREAD, THAT IS INDISPUTABLE.
AND EVEN IF THERE WERE SOME DOUBT, AS SOME SPEAKERS LIKE TO RAISE SHOULDN'T WE BE DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO STOP THE SPREAD OF THIS DEADLY DISEASE? IF OUR CHILDREN KNOW THAT THEY ARE BEING CONSIDERATE BY WEARING A MASK AND HELPING KEEP THEIR FRIENDS, THEIR FAMILIES, TEACHERS AND THEIR COMMUNITY SAFE, THEY WILL GLADLY DO THAT.
IF YOU FAIL TO REQUIRE MASKS AND FAIL TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU, IS THAT IT? SO, FOLKS, WE APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR BEING HERE, WE APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE COMMENTS, AND I'D LIKE TO COMMEND THE RESPECTFUL NATURE, [INAUDIBLE] I THINK THAT WAS OUTSIDE.
I'D LIKE TO COMMEND EVERYBODY HERE FOR THE RESPECTFUL NATURE OF THE COMMENTS, THE RESPECTFUL NATURE OF LISTENING OUTSIDE OF A HANDFUL OF OF LITTLE OUTBURSTS.
BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED WHEN YOU HAVE AN ISSUE THIS SIZE.
NOW, AGAIN, THE ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR US IS THAT THE BOARD IS GOING TO CONVENE IN CLOSE SESSION TO DISCUSS WITH COUNSEL, AND THEN WE WILL BE BACK FOR A PRESENTATION AT A LATER TIME.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME CLOSED SESSION IS GOING TO END AGAIN, JUST LIKE THIS MORNING, IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW MANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE FOR COUNSEL.
AND SO WITH THAT, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL AGAIN ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION AS AUTHORIZED UNDER THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT FOR THE
[5. CLOSED SESSION]
FOLLOWING PURPOSE.SECTION 551.071, THE TIME IS ELEVEN THIRTY FOUR A.M.
[6. RECONVENE OPEN SESSION]
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE.THE BOARD WILL NOW RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION.
TODAY IS MONDAY, AUGUST 31,2021, THE TIME IS 2:23 P.M.
[7.1. Consideration and possible action regarding provisions of Executive Order GA-38 related to mask mandates in Texas public schools.]
WE NOW MOVE TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION, ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.WE'LL ADDRESS CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING PROVISIONS OF EXECUTIVE ORDER GA 38, RELATED TO MASK MANDATES IN TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
TO BEGIN LET ME AGAIN ESTABLISH THE DISTRICT'S POSITION ON ITS LEGAL AUTHORITY TO DISCUSS WHETHER TO IMPLEMENT A MASK MANDATE.
GREG ABBOTT ISSUED EXECUTIVE ORDER GA38, WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, PROHIBITED ANY
[01:55:05]
GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY, INCLUDING ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT, FROM REQUIRING ANY PERSON TO WEAR A FACE COVERING.THE PLANO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES BELIEVES DECISIONS REGARDING THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS BELONGS IN THE HANDS OF LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND NOT IN OUR STATE LEVEL ELECTED OFFICIALS.
FOR THIS REASON, THIS BOARD PETITIONED GOVERNOR ABBOTT FOR RELIEF FROM EXECUTIVE ORDER GA 38.
SO ANY DECISION REGARDING MASKS WOULD OCCUR IN THIS BOARDROOM ROOM.
WHILE WE'VE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM GOVERNOR ABBOTT, LEGAL CHALLENGES TO THE ENFORCEMENT OF GA38 HAVE PROVIDED THE RELIEF WE SOUGHT.
IN THE CASE STYLED THE SOUTHERN CENTER FOR CHILD ADVOCACY VERSUS GREG ABBOTT FILED IN TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE JAN SOIFER ISSUED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER PREVENTING GOV.
ABBOTT FROM ENFORCING GA38 AGAINST SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
ABBOTT, ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON APPEALED THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER TO THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT.
ABBOTT'S AND ATTORNEY GENERAL PAXTON'S APPEAL, THUS AFFIRMING THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER AND RESTORING LEGAL AUTHORITY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING MASKS.
WITH LEGAL AUTHORITY RESTORED, THIS BOARD HAS TAKEN UP THE ISSUE IN ITS EMERGENCY CALLED MEETING.
SO FIRST, I'D LIKE TO TURN THIS OVER TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO REVIEW HEALTH DATA.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT STOLLE, I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS BEFORE I TURN THE PRESENTATION OVER TO DOCTOR BROCKMAN.
YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT UNTIL JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS AGO, I THINK WE ALL THOUGHT THAT THIS SCHOOL YEAR WOULD BE A MORE NORMAL START AND WE HAD ALL HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE.
AND I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WAY THE CAMPUS STAFF, PRINCIPALS, DISTRICT, PARENTS, KIDS ALL CAME BACK TO SCHOOL WITH WILLING HEARTS AND OPEN MINDS AND THEN IMPLEMENTING SOME NEW PROTOCOLS AS WE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, AS THE DELTA VARIANT CAME BACK TO OUR SCHOOLS.
IN OUR PAST MEETING, WE INDICATED THAT AS A BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION, WE WOULD COME BACK AND DISCUSS IN PUBLIC, MATTERS RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND WE HAVE DONE JUST THAT.
THERE ARE MANY POINTS OF VIEW AND MANY BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY AND WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONCEPT OF MASKING.
UNTIL LAST WEEK, IT SEEMED THAT ACTIONS ABOUT MASKING AND FACE COVERINGS WOULD HAVE PUT THE DISTRICT IN THE POSITION OF BREAKING THE LAW.
AND IT IS VERY UPSETTING TO THINK THAT WE HAVE COME TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BREAKING THE LAW AND STUDENT SAFETY.
THIS SITUATION CREATES A MORAL DILEMMA FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL BOARDS WHILE CAUSING GREAT CONCERN FOR ALL FAMILIES ON EITHER SIDE OF THIS TOPIC.
TODAY WE COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS WHERE THE HEALTH DATA STANDS FOR OUR DISTRICT IN ONLY THE FIRST EIGHT DAYS OF SCHOOL, AND WE KNOW THAT'S A SMALL SAMPLING OF DATA.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR AND TRACK DATA AND TRENDS AS WE GO.
EXAMINING PREVENTION AND MITIGATION MEASURES REMAINS IMPORTANT TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE ADMINISTRATION STANDS READY TO IMPLEMENT ACTIONS TAKEN BY THIS BOARD AT THE WILL OF THE BOARD.
WE FIND OURSELVES AGAIN IN VERY CHALLENGING TIMES WITH A VERY DIFFERENT SET OF TOOLS FROM LAST YEAR.
IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS WHERE WE LISTEN TO OUR COMMUNITY HEARING ALL SIDES, SEEKING SOLUTIONS OR MULTILAYERED SOLUTIONS AS WE DEAL WITH THE COVID 19 HAND THAT IS BEING DEALT TO US, KNOWING THAT WHICHEVER WAY WE TURN PRESENTS CHALLENGES.
THEREFORE, I IMPLORE ALL OF US TO PUT ASIDE THINGS THAT DIVIDE US AND TURN INSTEAD TO WHAT UNITES US, PUTTING OUR STUDENTS AT THE HEART OF OUR DECISIONS.
TODAY'S MEETING DISCUSSION PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF US TO SEE WHERE THE DATA IS TRENDING AND TO DISCUSS OPTIONS TO ENHANCE HEALTH AND SAFETY.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LET DR BROCKMAN TALK ABOUT THE DATA THAT WE'RE SEEING SO FAR.
I THINK THERE WAS ONE POINT MADE IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHAT THOSE NUMBERS REPRESENTED.
SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE DESCRIBE THAT TO YOU IN DETAIL TODAY.
AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LABELING THE DATA WITH THE CORRECT OR MORE SPECIFIC DESCRIPTORS, AND THANKS FOR THAT FEEDBACK.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR CASES.
THIS FIRST SLIDE IS OUR STUDENT DATA, AND THESE ARE POSITIVES, NOT QUARANTINE NUMBERS, BUT ACTUAL POSITIVE CASES.
AND WE SHOW AUGUST 12TH AND AUGUST 20TH, WHICH WAS THIS LAST WEEK.
OUR PEAK WAS IN STUDENT CASES WAS THIS LAST YEAR, JANUARY 14TH OF 2021 OF 185
[02:00:10]
STUDENT CASES.AND WE'RE SHOWING AS OF THE END OF LAST WEEK, 190 CASES, UP FROM 60 RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL STARTED.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SHOW STAFF DATA, OUR PEAK IN THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR FOR STAFF DATA WAS 72 CASES ON OUR HIGHEST DAY.
RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL STARTED, WE WERE AT 22, AND AS OF THE END OF LAST WEEK, WE WERE AT 30.
SO THOSE NUMBERS WILL CONTINUE TO BE UPDATED ON THE DASHBOARD.
WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING OUR STRICT ADHERENCE TO OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE ON OUR CAMPUSES.
AND WE ARE ALSO SUPPORTING VACCINATION FOR ADULTS AND ELIGIBLE STUDENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED.
BROCKMAN, FOR THE NUMBERS THAT YOU CITED, DO WE KNOW HOW THAT COMPARES AS A PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS OR PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS? JUST BECAUSE LAST YEAR, AROUND JANUARY, WE HAD DIFFERENT ATTENDANCE ON CAMPUS.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW WITHOUT DOING A FURTHER DIG OF THE 185 FROM JANUARY.
HOW MANY OF THOSE WERE ON CAMPUS VERSUS SCHOOL AT HOME? THIS DOES REPRESENT ABOUT POINT FOUR PERCENT.
OK, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR DR.
HOW MANY STUDENTS OUT OF THIS 185, CONTRACTED THE DISEASE FROM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL VERSUS INSIDE THE SCHOOL? WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS ON WHERE IT WAS CONTRACTED.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER HEARING MESSAGES FROM SCHOOL SAYING THE STUDENT GOT IT FROM OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, YOUR KID IS NOT EXPOSED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF WE DON'T KEEP TRACK, RIGHT.
IT'S JUST ANECDOTAL FROM DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT MESSAGING IF IT WAS A SCHOOL AT HOME STUDENT THAT HAD NOT BEEN ON CAMPUS.
BUT WE CAN SAFELY ASSUME THAT THE 36 ON 8/12 WERE NOT ON CAMPUS BECAUSE SCHOOL STARTED ON THE 11TH.
OF THE 60 THAT ARE LISTED THERE FOR THE 12TH OF AUGUST, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON CAMPUS BECAUSE THEY WERE DIAGNOSED BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED.
AND SO THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER STEPPED FOOT ON CAMPUS WITH THAT DIAGNOSIS.
AND ALSO OUT OF THAT 185, NONE OF THOSE ARE PART OF THE TWENTY THREE NINETY SIX THAT ARE IN THE CURRENTLY LED VIRTUAL.
THE 185 IS FROM LAST YEAR IN JANUARY.
OK, SO OUT OF THE 190, I'M SORRY.
DO YOU KNOW FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL ONES WITH 25 AND THE SENIOR HIGH 24, CAN WE SAY THAT THEY GOT FROM SCHOOL OR CAN WE SAY THAT THEY GOT IN FROM OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES? WE CAN'T SAY WITH ANY DEFINITIVE CONFIDENCE OF WHERE THEY CONTRACTED COVID, COULD HAVE BEEN IN CLASSROOMS, IT COULD HAVE BEEN IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
ABOUT THE LAST SLIDE, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE DASHBOARD WOULD BE UPDATED WEEKLY, ARE WE DOING THAT MORE ROUTINELY, OR IS IT WEEKLY? THANK YOU.
IT'S WEEKLY TO TEA, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PUBLISHING RIGHT NOW.
SO ANECDOTALLY, THAT INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED, BUT EVEN OVER THE WEEKEND, WE'VE SEEN THESE NUMBERS RISE, CORRECT? YES, OVER THE WEEKEND, WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL, AND THIS WAS REPORTED OVER THE WEEKEND, SOME OF THAT REPORTING HAPPENS ON MONDAY.
BUT OVER THE WEEKEND, 35 STUDENTS AND 16 ADDITIONAL STAFF.
[02:05:02]
DO WE HAVE ANY SITUATIONS WHERE WE HAVE CLUSTERS OF STAFF THAT ARE IMPACTED THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE IMPACTING INSTRUCTION? WE DO HAVE CAMPUSES WHERE WE HAVE GROUPS OF STAFF THAT HAVE HAVE TESTED POSITIVE.CAN'T DEFINITIVELY SAY THEY WERE EXPOSED OR CONTRACTED IT FROM SCHOOL, BUT CLUSTERS OF STAFF THAT ARE ENCOURAGING US TO GET A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE WITH STAFFING ON THOSE CAMPUSES FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
DO DO THESE TEACHERS HAVE TO WAIT 10 DAYS OR THEY CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL AS SOON AS THEY'RE TESTED NEGATIVE? IF A TEACHER TESTS POSITIVE, THEY NEED TO STAY OUT FOR THE 10 DAYS.
EVEN IF THEY TESTED NEGATIVE ON DAY FIVE, THEY HAVE TO STAY OUT FOR 10 DAYS.
BROCKMAN OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM ON THE NUMBERS.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S MOVE ON THEN TO THE KIND OF THE DISCUSSION OF THE DAY SO THAT AS I SEE IT, WE'VE GOT THREE OPTIONS.
WE THE BOARD CAN EITHER ELECT TO HAVE STATUS QUO, NOT DO ANYTHING.
THE BOARD CAN ELECT TO DO SOME SORT OF MASK REQUIREMENT WHERE IT IS EVERYBODY IS MASKED OR THE BOARD CAN ELECT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I THINK THE FIRST OPTION OF THIS OF STATUS QUO IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE.
WE ALSO CAN SEE FROM THE NUMBERS WHAT POTENTIALLY THE RISKS ARE THERE.
THE SECOND OPTION OF DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR REALLY THE SECOND AND THIRD OPTION, I WOULD SAY, ARE THE SAME AND IT'S DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND SO I THINK TO START THIS CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, SARA, LET'S TALK.
WHAT DID WE HAVE LAST YEAR? AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM PARENTS, IS WHY CAN'T WE JUST GO BACK TO LAST YEAR.
SO LAST YEAR WE HAD THE STATE MASK MANDATE IN PLACE, THAT WAS A LAYERED MITIGATION STRATEGY, WHICH ALLOWED US ALSO TO DO CONTACT TRACING.
AND SO THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT CONTACT TRACING, AND THEY'RE TIED TO MASKING.
AND SO THAT STRATEGY OF CONTACT TRACING AND QUARANTINING RIGHT NOW LAST YEAR, WE CAN QUARANTINE CLOSE CONTACTS THIS YEAR WE CANNOT.
WE ALSO CANNOT CO-TEACH FOR QUARANTINE KIDS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT IS DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR, GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER LEGALLY WAS YOU CANNOT REQUIRE MASK.
AND THEN THE TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER GAVE SOME LEGAL ROOM TO MAKE AN ALTERNATE DECISION.
AND SO NOW WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE PLACE OF SAYING, IS THERE ANY OTHER OPTION TO CONSIDER? AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO BACK TO DO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR OR WE COULD CONTEMPLATE SOMETHING ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING TO ADD ABOUT LAST YEAR.
BETH, ANYTHING FROM LAST YEAR'S MASK MANDATE? NO, BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS MASKED, IT WAS EASIER TO DETERMINE WHO WAS EXPOSED, WHO WASN'T EXPOSED, AS WELL AS A WHOLE WEALTH OF OR MENU OF THINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO.
WELL, I'LL POINT OUT, LAST YEAR WE HAD A LOT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL AT HOME PROGRAM AND BECAUSE WE DID NOT GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE VIRTUAL LED.
WE DIDN'T DEVELOP AN ONLINE ACADEMY THIS YEAR, BUT WE HAD THAT BENEFIT LAST YEAR THAT WE WE DON'T HAVE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THAT IS ACCURATE AND THAT ON THE VAST MAJORITY OF CAMPUSES ENABLED SOCIAL DISTANCING, DISTANCING TO HAPPEN IN ALMOST EVERY SETTING ON THE CAMPUS.
YEAH, I THINK IN ADDITION TO SOCIAL DISTANCING, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE ABILITY TO QUARANTINE, WE HAD THE ABILITY TO CONTACT TRACE, WE HAD A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WERE MITIGATES THAT WE COULD PUT INTO PLACE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THIS YEAR.
AND IN PRIOR MEETINGS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS YEAR IS A LITTLE IT IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF WHAT IS IN OUR TOOLBOX TO DEAL WITH THE
[02:10:06]
DELTA VARIANT AS WE'RE SEEING THIS COME THROUGH NOW.SO OTHER COMMENTS? ANYBODY ELSE COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ABOUT LAST YEAR OR IN GENERAL? ABOUT LAST YEAR OR FRANKLY, I WANT TO OPEN THIS UP TO THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR ANY CONVERSATION.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE SPEAKING, SURE.
WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT OPTIONS, DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN STATUS QUO? I JUST WANT TO ASK A QUESTION, BECAUSE ALL OF US GOT A CHANCE TO VISIT CAMPUSES AND THE FIRST DAY I WANT TO KNOW, INCLUDING THE CABIN MEMBERS WE ALL [INAUDIBLE] SO I WANT TO KNOW, HOW DO YOU FEEL? HOW THE CHILDREN ARE DOING WITH THE CURRENT EXISTING POLICY THAT IS MASK OPTIONAL ? WELL, I KNOW THAT I'M HEARING FROM PARENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT KIDS WHO THEY WANT THEM TO WEAR THEIR MASK AND THE KIDS GET TO SCHOOL AND DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WEARING A MASK.
AND SO THEY COME HOME AND THEY SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY AREN'T YOU KNOW, THE PARENTS HOPE THEIR CHILDREN ARE WEARING THE MASKS, BUT THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND DON'T FEEL THAT COMFORT LEVEL TO CONTINUE WEARING THE MASK.
SO THERE'S THAT AND THERE ARE CAMPUSES I SAW A BIG PROPORTION OF THE SENIOR HIGH THAT I VISITED SEEM TO BE FOLLOWING THE MASK PROTOCOLS.
SO IT'S YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S VARIES FROM PLACE TO PLACE.
I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PARENTS, TOO, I HAD ONE PARENT THAT HAD EMAILED ME AND THEY SAID, GIVE ME ONE SECOND TO FIND IT.
SO I THOUGHT I HAD IT PULLED UP.
AH YEAH, SHE SAID LAST YEAR, TALKING ABOUT HER SON, HIS NORMALLY SOCIAL CONFIDENT SELF WAS MUTED.
HE WAS NO, OR HE MADE NEW NO NEW FRIENDS AT HIS NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT HIS DAYS AT SCHOOL.
MY STRAIGHT A, FUNNY STUDENT WHO LOVES TO LEARN, LOVES TO INTERACT WITH, LOVES TO INTERACT, LOVES OPPORTUNITIES, HAD NO JOY IN SCHOOL.
HE ACTED DEPRESSED WITH THAT TRUTH OR THAT TRUTH BECAME EVEN MORE APPARENT WHEN HE STARTED SCHOOL LAST WEEK WITHOUT A MASK AND CAME HOME EVERY DAY, EXUBERANT, ENERGETIC AND OVERFLOWING WITH NEWS ABOUT HIS CLASSES, TEACHERS ACTIVITIES AND ACADEMIC FINDINGS.
EIGHT DAYS WITHOUT WEARING A MASK.
WE ARE, FRANKLY, LESS CONCERNED ABOUT COVID AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING OUR SON AGAIN.
ALSO IN A MOCK POLL FROM MARCH 15TH, 2021, THEY FOUND THAT WHEN ASKING THE QUESTION, DOING A STUDY ON HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED TEEN MENTAL HEALTH, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE REPORT WERE THAT THREE AND FOUR PARENTS SAY COVID 19 HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR TEENS BEING ABLE TO INTERACT WITH FRIENDS.
ONE IN THREE TEEN GIRLS AND ONE IN FIVE TEEN BOYS HAVE EXPERIENCED NEW OR WORSENING ANXIETY SINCE MARCH 2020.
AND HALF OF PARENTS HAVE RELAXED FAMILY RULES TO ALLOW THEIR TEEN MORE CONTACT WITH FRIENDS.
I THINK OUR CAMPUSES RIGHT NOW ARE ALLOWING MORE CONTACT WITH FRIENDS, AND I THINK IT'S IMPROVING THE EMOTIONAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS, AND I'VE SEEN THAT FROM THE FEW CAMPUSES I'VE BEEN ON, AND I'VE HEARD THAT FROM A LOT OF PARENTS THAT ARE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THEIR KIDS BACK ON CAMPUS WITHOUT A MASK.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT FOR US TO SAY, THOUGH, THAT WE'RE NOW STARTING TO SEE THIS INCREASE IN COVID IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE KIDS WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO I MEAN, I WANT TO MAKE THE CHOICE TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT.
AND I KNOW THAT BEING ABLE TO GO OUT, I FEEL MORE SECURE BECAUSE I HAVE THE MASK AND ALLOWING KIDS TO HAVE THAT MASK, THEY CAN STILL BE WE HAVE MORE KIDS ON CAMPUS.
AND I THINK THERE'S A WAY THAT I THINK WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT A MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN CAN BE COMPROMISED FOR ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT REASONS, NOT BECAUSE OF A MASK.
THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN OUR WORLD, AND THAT CAUSE OUR KIDS TO BE ANXIOUS.
I DO THINK IT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR STORIES ABOUT OUR STAFF AND OUR CAMPUS LEADERS WELCOMING STUDENTS, ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE WEARING A MASK OR NOT WEARING A MASK.
RIGHT, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
HOWEVER, THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH COVID AND ITS UPTAKE AND THE FEARS THAT PEOPLE HAVE ARE THEY ARE REAL.
[INAUDIBLE] THE FEARS WERE DISCOUNTED, THE FEARS ARE REALLY ARE REAL.
AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP MITIGATE THAT FOR A SHORT TERM PERIOD, I THINK THAT WOULD BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND CAMPUSES AND
[02:15:01]
FAMILIES.AND I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FEAR IS OBVIOUSLY THAT WE WE LOSE A CHILD, RIGHT.
BUT A CHILD PASSES AWAY FROM THIS, THAT'S THE FEAR.
WELL, NOT ONLY THAT, CODY, WE DON'T KNOW THE LONG TERM EFFECTS OF COVID.
WE YOU KNOW, THERE'S SO MANY UNKNOWNS.
WE DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S LONG TERM EFFECTS FROM FLU.
THERE'S JUST SO MANY UNKNOWNS.
I JUST WANT TO ALSO MENTION, ACCORDING TO THE AAP, SUICIDE IS A SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG ADOLESCENTS OR YOUTH TEN TO TWENTY FOUR IN THE UNITED STATES.
YOU KNOW, THOSE ANXIETY NUMBERS [INAUDIBLE], WE WERE ON AN UPTICK ON THAT BEFORE COVID HAPPENED.
I SPOKE TO A PSYCHOLOGIST WHO TEACHES OR NOT TEACHES TREATS STUDENTS WHO ARE ADOLESCENTS, AND SHE LET ME KNOW THAT THE ANXIETY THAT SHE'S TREATING AND OF COURSE THIS IS ONE PHYSICIAN.
THE ONE SINGLE MOST CONTRIBUTOR TO ANY SUICIDAL THOUGHTS IS THE ISOLATION, NOT WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY IS WEARING A MASK.
WELL, I HOLD ON A SEC, LET ME STOP HERE, FOLKS.
YOU ALL HAD YOUR TURN TO TALK.
SO IF YOU'LL PLEASE BE QUIET AND LET US TALK.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, CODY THE POINT YOU MADE ABOUT GETTING KIDS BACK ON CAMPUS IS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE, IT'S GOING TO BE A BOOST TO SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH TO GET BACK TO AS NORMAL OF A LIFE AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN, GIVEN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN, IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN IS A DELTA VARIANT THAT IS SURGING AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL WHEN WE'VE GOT ALL OF OUR KIDS IN CLOSE CONTACT.
AND THE PREDICTIONS, THE MODELS THAT WE SAW WEEKS AGO RELATIVE TO POTENTIAL INCREASES IN CASES, I THINK I'M STARTING TO SEE THAT THE NUMBER, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU ALL SHARED ARE CONCERNING, BUT WHAT WAS EVEN MORE CONCERNING IS THE NUMBER OF JUMP OVER THE WEEKEND TO ME.
AND SO I SEE A SITUATION WHERE WE WANT TO GET OUR KIDS BACK ON CAMPUS.
WE WANT TO GET ALL OF OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
AND WE ARE IN A SURGE SITUATION THAT WE CANNOT IGNORE.
AND SOME OF THE MODELS REFLECT THAT BY SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, WE MAY BE ON THE BACK END OF THIS.
I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC, I'M AN OPTIMISTIC KIND OF PERSON, EVEN THOUGH I DON'T SOUND LIKE IT ALL THE TIME.
AND THAT'S MY HOPE IS THAT WE ARE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO TOPPING OUT ON A SURGE OR GETTING ON THE TOP OF A SURGE.
AND IN GETTING BACK TO WHAT WE ALL EXPERIENCED IN JUNE WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WERE PAST COVID.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE CONVERSATION WE'RE HAVING IS WHAT DO WE DO RIGHT NOW? I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE THE STAFF I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING AT STAFF CASES AND, YOU KNOW, GROUPS OF TEACHERS AND THIS SORT OF THING, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THAT EVEN VACCINATED TEACHERS CAN STILL GET COVID AND TEST POSITIVE AND BE REQUIRED TO BE OFF CAMPUS FOR 10 DAYS.
AND THAT CREATES ADDITIONAL DISRUPTION FOR THE STUDENTS, RIGHT.
SO IF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT TRANSMISSION IN THE COMMUNITY AND ON THE CAMPUSES, YOU KNOW, EVEN JUST THE STAFF, THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER POPULATION THAN THE STUDENTS.
BUT STAFF BEING OUT HAS SIGNIFICANT DISRUPTION FOR THOSE STUDENTS LEARNING, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW MY SON WANTS TO HUG HIS TEACHER, NOT A SUBSTITUTE.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE FOR THE SOCIAL AND THE EMOTIONAL WELFARE OF THE CHILDREN IS HAVING CONSISTENCY, AND, YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR SUPPORT NETWORK, WHICH INCLUDES THEIR HEALTHY PRIMARY TEACHER.
SAME TIME, I DON'T WANT US TO HAVE SOME KIND OF DECISION THAT'S GOING TO BE INTO THE UNKNOWN FUTURE FOREVER AND EVER AMEN.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO KNOW VERY CLEARLY THAT WE NEED TO TAKE THIS A BIT AT A TIME.
THERE IS SOME OPTIMISM THAT THE COVID DELTA COULD BE SPIKING AND THEN IT COULD LEVEL OFF AND WE COULD SEE IT DECLINE QUICKLY.
BUT THAT'S A CRYSTAL BALL, AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON A CRYSTAL BALL FOR STUDENTS.
I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS PIECE OF THE PIECE AND WHAT WE SEE, WHAT TOOLS WE HAVE IN OUR TOOLBOX TO HELP RIGHT NOW.
NO ONE HAS SAID THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MENTION THAT WE HAVE A VERY LARGE POPULATION OF STUDENTS WHO ARE UNVACCINATED.
WE HAVEN'T SAID THAT YET, AMANDA, THAT'S OUT THERE AND IT'S PART OF THE DISCUSSION, BUT WE NEED TO SURE AND SAY THAT AND THAT POPULATION CAN AFFECT OUR TEACHERS IF THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE BREAKTHROUGH.
YOU KNOW, THEY MAY NOT GET SO SICK, THAT'S A CONSIDERATION.
[02:20:05]
THE OTHER CONSIDERATION IS BEING ASYMPTOMATIC AND BEING ABLE TO SPREAD THE VIRUS, NOT KNOWING THAT YOU'RE SPREADING THE VIRUS IS PROBLEMATIC.YEAH YOU KNOW, DAVID, YOU SAID YOU'RE AN OPTIMIST.
I MIGHT ADD THAT I LIKE TO BE AN OPTIMIST, TOO.
I'M HOPING THAT TODAY'S FDA APPROVAL OF THE VACCINE MIGHT BE AN INDICATION THAT THERE WILL BE AN APPROVAL SOON FOR THE UNDER 12.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT DATE IS, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DATE FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILIES.
CAN I SPEAK? AS WE SEE, THE VIRUS IS SPREADING QUICKLY, BUT THERE IS NO CONCLUSIVE RESEARCH INDICATES IT'S BECOME MORE DEADLY.
AND ALSO, AS WHEN I VISITED A CAMPUS, I SAW KIDS MASKED, UNMASKED COEXIST PEACEFULLY.
TEACHERS DOING A GREAT JOB MANAGING EXPECTATIONS.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY TOUCHED.
I'M LIKE THESE PEOPLE, OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS, OUR KIDS ARE MORE MATURE THAN A LOT OF ADULTS.
SO I DON'T SEE HYSTERICS ANYWHERE IN CLASSROOM WHEN I VISIT TWO, THREE CAMPUSES IN THE EAST SIDE AND ALSO I THINK IF YOU READ THE CDC DATA, IT DOES SAY, YOU KNOW, FEAR, ANXIETY AND ANXIETY INDUCED FEAR OR BOTH.
THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, WHAT IS CALLED, COMORBIDITIES.
SO HOW IMPORTANT ADJUSTED FOR AGE AND OTHER VARIABLES, IT'S INCREASED YOUR MORTALITY RATE BY 33 PERCENT, 30 OR 33, I'M NOT VERY CLEAR, BUT IT'S VERY SIGNIFICANT A CAUSE, THE [INAUDIBLE] OF DIABETES WITH COMPLICATION.
SO IMAGINE WHAT YOU'RE DOING IF YOU ARE SCARING THE KIDS TO DEATH, BECAUSE YOU SEE IT FOR ME.
LOOK, SCIENCE KNOWS I'M NOT A SCIENTIST, SO I'M NOT SPEAKING FROM A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO TAKE NOTES.
I HAVE OVER 100 NOTES, I THINK PROS AND CONS.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S NOT PROBABLY NOT EVEN WISE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT PROFESSIONAL.
BUT FOR ME, I THINK GROWN UPS NEED TO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
I BELIEVE IF EVERY FAMILY TOOK CARE OF THEIR OWN, JUST LIKE EXCELLENCE, IF EVERYBODY STRIVES FOR EXCELLENCE, OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE BETTER OFF.
IF EVERY FAMILY TOOK CARE OF THEIR OWN, EVERY GROWN UP PARENTS TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILY, OUR COMMUNITY WILL BE HEALTHIER.
SO WITH ALL THE TOOLS YOU HAVE, ALL THE RESEARCH AVAILABLE, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO WHOEVER TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO DIE.
I ENCOURAGE YOU TO, I MEAN IT'S MORE STATISTICS THROWN OUT.
I KNOW IT'S HARD TO FEEL, SAFETY TO FEEL SAFE WHEN YOU HEAR, YOU KNOW, NUMBERS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW.
BUT I REALLY ENCOURAGE PARENTS, DO NOT INSTILL THAT FEAR IN YOUR CHILD.
I DON'T WANT CHILDREN TO FEEL ASSUME EVERYBODY NEXT TO YOU IS HARBORING A DEADLY VIRUS THAT COULD KILL YOU.
THAT IS GOING TO BE THE MOST DIVISIVE THING THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER SEEN.
I WOULD THINK IS WORSE THAN ANYTHING THAT DIVIDES TO DIVIDE US.
SO I SEE, YOU KNOW WHAT TOOL BOX YOU HAVE IN YOUR BELT, WHAT TOOLS YOU HAVE IN YOUR TOOLBOX? PLEASE USE THEM ALL.
STAY HEALTHY, TALK ABOUT HOW HEALTH MORE YOU KNOW, I HEARD THE OH, I KNOW YOU KNOW, TO TAKE CARE OF A COVID TO BE PREVENTATIVE.
YOU NEED TO TALK ABOUT HEALTH MORE THAN FEAR.
AND MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN SLEEP ENOUGH, DON'T STAY ON ELECTRONICS FOR TOO LONG.
EXERCISE AND TALK ABOUT THIS, THIS CAN INCREASE YOUR SURVIVAL BY MANY FOLDS.
IF YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THE BAD EFFECTS OF COMORBIDITIES, LET'S WORK ON THAT.
THAT'S HOW I PERSONALLY FEEL, PROBABLY NOT ALL THAT SMART TO SAY HERE.
I DO THINK WE ARE PUTTING TOO MUCH BURDEN ON OUR CHILDREN.
WE DIDN'T DO ENOUGH AND AS GROWNUPS.
SO IF, YEAH, I MEAN, I REALLY PRAY WE AS A COMMUNITY DON'T COLLAPSE
[02:25:02]
BEFORE THE VIRUS COLLAPSES.SO THEREFORE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL THAT THAT ASPECT OF IT.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR COMMUNITY, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM COMPLIMENTING OUR ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLIMENTING OUR PRINCIPALS AND ACCOMPANYING OUR TEACHERS.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING? THEY'RE FOLLOWING OUR HEALTH PROTOCOLS, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB.
YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, THEY'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THE CURRENT HEALTH PROTOCOLS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
OUR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING, THEY'RE BACK IN SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE EACH SCHOOL'S DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WEARING MASKS AND DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS NOT WEARING MASKS.
BUT THE THING WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE BEING TOLD BY THE PARENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HAVING THEIR, YOU KNOW, LEARNING HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, THEIR CLEANSINESS.
I MEAN, YOU SEE MORE STUDENTS WASHING THEIR HANDS, MORE STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, DECIDING, YOU KNOW, TO BE, YOU KNOW, MORE EFFECTIVE IN CLEANING THEIR HANDS AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE NOT SPREADING GERMS. AND SO THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT THAT WHEN I FIRST SAW FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, I WENT TO TOUR, I WENT TO VISIT, YOU KNOW, ON A CAMPUS AND THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
AND I SAW TEACHERS TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO WASH THEIR HANDS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO, I MEAN, THESE DAYS, ARE WE TEACHING OUR STUDENTS HOW TO LEARN HOW TO CLEAN THEIR HANDS BETTER THAN, YOU KNOW, HOW PROTOCOLS ARE GETTING BETTER? CLEANLINESS IS BETTER.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT HEALTH PROTOCOLS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW IS WORKING.
SO EACH OF US HAVE HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT THIS AND TO LOOK AT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ITEMS, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY AN ACTION ITEM.
SO WE'VE HAD KIND OF A GENERAL CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE WE ARE.
BUT IN ORDER TO HAVE A SPECIFIC TAKE ANY ACTION AT ALL, WE NEED TO HAVE A MOTION AND THEN WE CAN HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE SPECIFIC MOTION AT THAT TIME.
SO I'LL CALL FOR A MOTION AT THIS POINT.
MIGHT I HAVE ONE OR TWO MORE COMMENTS BEFORE WE CALL THE MOTION? YES, I WANTED TO SPEAK TO SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE HAD RECEIVED.
I THINK TO ONE OF JERI'S POINTS, THE ASYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE SEEM TO ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY APPROXIMATELY 40 TO 45 PERCENT OF THE SARS-COID-2 INFECTIONS.
NOW, THAT'S NOT ACCORDING TO DELTA, WHICH IS DIFFERENT AND MORE TRANSMISSIBLE, BUT THAT'S ACCORDING TO THE DATA THAT WE'VE RECEIVED SO FAR.
THE SCIENCE ALSO SAYS SPEECH IS A KNOWN EMITTER, UP TO AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF PARTICLES COMPARED TO BREATHING.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING ONE.
AND ALSO THAT ONE ISSUE THAT IMPACTS BOTH SCHOOL AND WORK USAGE OF MASK IS THAT OVER A FULL DAY'S USE, MASKS MAY BECOME WET OR DIRTY.
THE STUDY OF MASKS USED IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS FOUND THAT RESPIRATORY PATHOGENS ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE USED MEDICAL MASKS MAY RESULT IN SELF CONTAMINATION, AND NOTED THAT THE RISK OF HIGHER THE RISK IS HIGHER WITH LONGER DURATION OF MASK USE MORE THAN SIX HOURS AND WITH HIGHER RATES OF CLINICAL CONTACT.
THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON WAS A RECENT CDC STUDY THAT CAME OUT.
IT SAYS COVID 19 INCIDENTS WERE 37 PERCENT LOWER IN SCHOOLS THAT REQUIRED TEACHER AND STAFF MEMBERS TO USE MASKS AND COMPARED TO 39 PERCENT LOWER IN SCHOOLS THAT IMPROVED VENTILATION.
THE VENTILATION STRATEGIES ASSOCIATED WITH LOWER INCIDENCE INCLUDED DILUTION METHODS ALONE OR IN COMBINATION WITH FILTRATION METHODS.
THE DILUTION METHODS WERE OPENING WINDOWS, OPENING DOORS AND USING FANS.
AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY FOUND.
THEY DID SAY THAT THE TWENTY ONE PERCENT LOWER INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS THAT REQUIRE MASKS AMONG STUDENTS WAS NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT COMPARED WITH SCHOOLS WHERE MASK USE WAS OPTIONAL.
THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION CALLED FOR UNIVERSAL AND CORRECT MASK USE AMONG TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS AND IMPROVED VENTILATION AS TO IMPORTANT STRATEGIES TO UTILIZE ON PRIMARY CAMPUSES.
SO I'D SAY SARA TO JUST TAG ALONG ON CODY'S POINTS, I THINK REGARDLESS OF WHAT THIS BOARD DOES TODAY, THAT MASK HYGIENE AND USAGE ARE THINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE WEARING MASK NEED TO HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF.
AND SO THAT WORKING THAT INTO HEALTH CURRICULUM MAY BE A NECESSARY STEP, SO.
OK, SO ONCE AGAIN, LET ME CALL FOR A MOTION SO WE WE CAN HAVE DIRECTION HERE.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES A TEMPORARY MASK REQUIREMENT
[02:30:03]
FOR STUDENTS, STAFF AND VISITORS, INDOOR AND DISTRICT FACILITIES, AND ON DISTRICT PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION SUBJECT TO MEDICAL EXCEPTIONS, RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSOPHICAL EXCEPTIONS OR ADMINISTRATIVE EXCEPTION AS ANALOGOUS TO BOARD POLICY FNCA BEGINNING AUGUST 26, 2021 UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2021.OR UNTIL THERE IS FURTHER GUIDANCE ON GA38 AS A RESULT OF ONGOING STATE AND FEDERAL LITIGATION OR LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
SECOND, SO I HAVE A MOTION BY JERI CHAMBERS, A SECOND BY CODY WEAVER THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES A MOTION FOR A TEMPORARY MASK REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS, STAFF AND VISITORS, INDOOR IN DISTRICT FACILITIES AND ON DISTRICT PROVIDED TRANSPORTATION SUBJECT TO METAL, EXCEPT MEDICAL EXCEPTIONS, RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSOPHICAL EXCEPTIONS, OR ADMINISTRATIVE EXEMPTION AS ANALOGOUS TO BOARD POLICY.
FNCA BEGINNING AUGUST 26, 2021, UNTIL AND CONTINUING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2021, OR UNTIL THERE'S FURTHER GUIDANCE ON GA38 AS A RESULT OF ONGOING STATE AND FEDERAL LITIGATION OR LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, GO AHEAD, IF A PARENT UNDER THE MOTION WE HAVE WOULD WANT TO SUBMIT A PHILOSOPHICAL EXEMPTION FOR THEIR CHILD SO THEIR CHILD DOES NOT HAVE TO WEAR A MASK ON CAMPUS.
HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT OR HOW WOULD THEY GO ABOUT DOING THAT? SO WE WILL FOLLOW SOMEWHAT SIMILARLY TO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR, SO WE WOULD ELECTRONIC, IT WOULD BE IN AN ELECTRONIC FASHION.
PARENTS COULD GO INTO PARENT PORTAL, FILE THEIR EXEMPTION, WHAT EXEMPTION THEY'RE REQUESTING, SUBMIT IT, AND THAT'S HOW WE WOULD KNOW THAT A FAMILY HAS REQUESTED THAT PARTICULAR EXEMPTION.
I BELIEVE OUR CURRENT PROCESS UNDER HAS BEEN IN THE FORM OF A PAPER COPY THAT WE WOULD TRY, WE'RE MOVING A LOT OF THINGS TO ONLINE, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE AN ONLINE VARIATION FOR IT.
FOR PARENTS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTERS, A PAPER FORM WILL BE AVAILABLE.
ABSOLUTELY, AND IN SPANISH? YES, OK, SO HOW SOON WILL THIS FORM TO BE AVAILABLE? HOW SOON? WE WILL NEED SOME TIME THAT WE'LL ALL HAVE TO REGROUP WITH THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM TO SEE HOW FAST WE COULD PUT TOGETHER AN ONLINE FORM.
I KNOW WITH WITH THE TEMPORARY VIRTUAL OPTION, THAT WAS A QUICK TURNAROUND TIME, I BELIEVE OUR CURRENT SYSTEM ALLOWS FOR THIS TYPE OF QUESTIONNAIRE.
AND WE'VE HAD TO USE IT FOR OTHER REASONS SO PROBABLY I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR PATRICK OR HIS TEAM, BUT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A PRIORITY TO GET IN PLACE SOON.
I MISSED IT, THE STARTING DATE OF THIS MOTION, WHEN DOES IT TAKE EFFECT? IT SAYS AUGUST 26, WHICH IS THURSDAY.
SO TO GIVE TIME FOR THE DISTRICT, OF COURSE, TO GET THAT PREPARED AND THEN ALSO TIME FOR PARENTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE FORM AND BE ABLE TO FILE FOR THAT EXEMPTION IN A TIMELY MANNER, WE WOULD NEED TIME.
ALSO TIME TO TRAIN OUR PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS.
SO WE WOULD NEED SOME TIME TO TO PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE AND WHO WOULD WHEN THAT FORM SUBMITTED AND IS THERE AN APPROVAL PROCESS OR IS IT DO YOU SUBMIT YOUR PHILOSOPHICAL EXEMPTION AND THEN IT IS ACCEPTED BY THE DISTRICT? WELL, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, THERE'S MULTIPLE EXEMPTIONS HERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST LET'S NOT FORGET, THERE'S MEDICAL REASONS FOR SOME STUDENTS AND RELIGIOUS AS WELL AS PHILOSOPHICAL.
AND ALL OF THOSE WHEN SUBMITTED, IS THERE, THEY'RE ACCEPTED OR THERE OK, SO THEY'RE ACCEPTED THERE'S NOT A REVIEW OR APPROVAL PROCESS.
SO, AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, MY OBSERVATION IS, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS BEHAVE REALLY WELL.
TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS REALLY WELL SO FAR, AND WHEN THIS, IF THIS TAKES EFFECT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR TEACHERS, TEACHERS, I THINK THEY'RE GROWN UPS.
I DON'T THINK MAINLY THE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, WELL, WE HAVE SOME KIND OF A EDUCATION
[02:35:01]
TELLING THE KIDS THE ETIQUETTE OF THE WEARING OR NOW WEARING OF MASKS.SO NO ONE GET BULLIED FOR ANYTHING.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I SEE WHERE MASKS, HELLO, AS IF I DIDN'T SEE IT.
OK, IT BECAUSE YOU GOT TO HAVE THE CULTURE OF RESPECT AND TOLERANCE.
OTHERWISE IT'S GOING TO SPLIT THE COMMUNITY .
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS.
ALL RIGHT, JUST ONE MORE, YEAH.
TRUSTEE WEAVER BROUGHT UP PEOPLE GETTING THEIR MASKS DIRTY AT SCHOOL OR DROPPING THEM, AND WE ARE MAKING DISPOSABLE MASKS AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS UPON REQUEST SO THAT IF THAT IS A CONCERN, SOMEBODY DROPS HER MASK ON THE BATHROOM FLOOR OR SOMETHING REALLY ICKY THAT THE STUDENTS KNOW WHO TO GO TO TO GET A REPLACEMENT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REMIND OUR STAFF.
WE'VE HAD TEMPORARY OR DISPOSABLE MASKS FOR QUITE A WHILE ON ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES.
THEY'RE AVAILABLE IN ALL OF OUR FRONT OFFICES.
I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF INVENTORY.
AND SO THAT'S NOT REALLY A CHANGE.
IT'S MORE OF A JUST A REMINDER THAT IF A STUDENT NEEDS A MASK, THAT WE HAVE THEM.
IF A VISITOR NEEDS A MASK, WE HAVE THEM.
SOMEBODY DROPS OR DAMAGES A MASK WE HAVE THEM.
I'M SORRY, HOW ABOUT LIKE BAND CHOIRS? YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE POINTED OUT THE INEQUITY OF IT WHEN IT COMES TO MASK WEARING A REQUIREMENT FROM LAST YEAR.
SO HOW THE DISTRICT HOW WILL THE DISTRICT ADDRESS THIS IN THE NEW ENVIRONMENT? AGAIN, I THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TEAM WILL HAVE TO RECONVENE TO REVIEW PRIOR HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS, READ INTO TODAY'S MOTION TO THEN DISCUSS EXACTLY WHAT THOSE PROTOCOLS.
I'M GOING TO MAKE AN ASSUMPTION THAT WHEN WE SAY INDOORS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WHEN WE'RE WALKING IN THE HALLWAY, WALKING INTO OUR CLASSROOMS AND IN OUR CLASSROOMS, THAT THE MASK WOULD NOT BE MANDATED.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T BE IN BAND OR PLAY FOOTBALL WITH A MASK ON OR CHEER OR VERY EFFECTIVELY.
SO IF STUDENTS ARE OUTDOORS, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THERE WILL BE SOME EXEMPTIONS ON WHAT IS APPROPRIATE AND WHAT ISN'T APPROPRIATE, DEPENDING ON THE ACTIVITY.
HOW ABOUT TEACHERS? DO TEACHER HAVE THE SAME, THIS MOTION WILL APPLY TO TEACHERS AS WELL, TO THE SAME LEVEL OF EXEMPTIONS? THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
I'M GOING TO DEFER TO DR. BROCKMAN FROM THE H.R.
SO WE WILL, OF COURSE, WORK WITH TEACHERS THAT HAVE A MEDICAL NEED FOR AN ADA ACCOMMODATION.
BUT OTHERWISE, I'M ENVISIONING THAT THIS A MANDATE WOULD APPLY TO ALL EMPLOYEES.
SO THE RELIGIOUS AND PHILOSOPHICAL EXEMPTION DON'T APPLY TO TEACHERS? WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
EXCUSE ME, PLEASE, LET US HAVE OUR MEETING.
WILL YOU ESCORT MR. DONOVAN OUT OF OUR MEETING, PLEASE? THANK YOU, MR. DONOVAN.
ALL RIGHT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OF THE EXEMPTIONS THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS LAST YEAR, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS AND STAFF THIS YEAR.
THE PROCESS FOR OUR STAFF WOULDN'T CHANGE.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S PROCEED TO VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL OPPOSED, MOTION CARRIES SIX TO ONE.
THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS NOR ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE BOARD, THE MEETING WILL BE ADJOURNED, THE TIME IS 3:08 P.M.
ON MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 2021.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.