The mask debate with children has only grown louder as schools are gearing up to welcome students back.

New York state has announced a comprehensive plan for reopening that includeds a universal mask requirement in all schools. Under the mandate, all students, faculty and staff of public and private schools will be required to wear masks inside school buildings. Visitors also will be required to wear masks.

Area parents and guardians of school children have responded with their thoughts and feelings on masking in schools going into the new school year.

Many are in favor of the policy, including Jennifer Smith.

“I have a seventh grader who said she was wearing her mask whether it was mandated or not,” Smith said. “She is just now starting to feel comfortable going back in person this year with masking and vaccination. Couldn’t agree more that it should (be) up to health experts, not parents.”

Angel Dubois, a former area resident, said there are many benefits to masks outside of the pandemic. “I am here for the mask,” she said. “Everyone is entitled to their personal beliefs and I’ll never put anyone down for being on the opposing side. But for me, I can say this is the first year in my son’s whole 12 years of living I didn’t spend days or weeks in the hospital with my son (because) he got sick (with) the flu bug or some cold going around that affects him so much worse than others.”

Dubois said she wishes she would have had herself and her son wear masks pre-COVID. Another plus is she has spent less on medical bills since her son has not been as sick this year. “I’ll say I’ve saved a ton of money for not having to pay hospital bills and that is a plus,” she said.

“We have taken every precaution when it comes to COVID and have been lucky not to get it,” she added. “Even with us being vaccinated he’ll still wear a mask in school and in public.”

Vanessa Weinert, a local parent, said the idea is not just to protect your own children, but all the children in the schools. Masks are the way to do that, she said.

“As much as it’s a challenge, it’s essential that mask mandates exist for everyone in a public school building,” Weinert said. “We still don’t know the impact of long COVID on children and we should be doing everything in our power to keep children safe and healthy. Children are resilient and my daughter has no issues wearing her mask.”

Weinert said that parents are a different story and that it is often parents projecting their own beliefs onto their children as far as masks go. “Now that one of the vaccines is FDA approved, I hope to see vaccine mandates for all employees and eligible children just as we do with other vaccines,” she said.

One concerned grandmother, who wished to remain anonymous, added her perspective on vaccines and masking, as well.

“My daughter won’t speak out but as a third-grade school (teacher), if she is mandated to have the vaccine, she will be resigning her position, as will another third-grade teacher in her district,” she said. “It should be a choice…”

The grandmother added that her daughter believes masking children in a school setting is “counterproductive.”

“Kids need to be able to see the teacher pronounce words as well as the teacher being able to identify how they are ae to enunciate,” she said. “It’s all about the best possible in-person education. Hochul is no better than Cuomo and the mandates. We will have a teacher shortage and a health care shortage. Both of the teachers’ husbands make adequate money to allow them to resign.”

See DEBATE, A3

The grandmother said the best way to combat the virus is to teach good hygiene, don’t allow children to share and keep children in their own personal space.

“Kids are kids and they need socializing,” she said. “Kids that come from homes that don’t give their kids attention, (have) domestic situations, or lack in nutrition do so much better in school. I helped deliver things to students and you should see the little faces light up when the teacher came and brought them staples of good food. The hugs my daughter received were the best reward.”

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states in the science brief “Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs — Updated” that when COVID-19 rates are high in a community, “there is an increased likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 will be introduced to and potentially transmitted within in a school or ECE setting.”

The CDC reports that schools and programs can limit transmission by layering the following effective prevention strategies:

¯ promoting the COVID vaccine

¯ consistent and correct use of masks

¯ social distancing

¯ screening tests

¯ improving ventilation

¯ handwashing and respiratory etiquette

¯ staying home and getting tested when sick

¯ testing and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine

¯ routine cleaning with disinfection under certain conditions

The CDC recommends implementing the guidelines particularly in areas “with moderate, substantial or high transmission rates and low vaccination coverage, and to protect people who are not vaccinated.”