An Iowa school board Thursday night voted not to institute a mask mandate despite medical professionals and its legal counsel supporting protecting students and staff. Coronavirus cases across the state have skyrocketed by 44% over the past 14 days.
An anonymous Facebook group claiming to be run by local parents had demanded the Waukee Community School District (WCSD) “pay” for wanting to implement a mask mandate. The small group wrote a post on the social media site (image below) describing how parents could cause the school district – ultimately, the students – “financial troubles for disregarding our rights as parents to decide for our own children.”
“We know you are fed up with not being heard or respected by our school board and superintendent about your right to choose masks or not for your students,” the post reads.
“What can be done? MAKE WCSD PAY!”
After claiming that each child is worth $8000 to the school district’s operating budget (schools are funded by the number of days and the number of students in attendance) detailing how to unenroll children from school, the post says:
“Remember, WE WILL NOT COMPLY. Instruct your child to never mask if instructed to do so.”
The group also ran a Facebook ad uring parents to “Email the school board members if you have not yet done so, to let them know your thoughts on masking your children.”
In the subject line: We will not comply- No mask mandates. Then in the body of email tell them briefly about your children and the school they attend. Let them know how masks negatively impacted your kids.
Journalist Dave Price of NBC affiliate WHO tweeted the Facebook post:
The Des Moines Register adds that the school board said it received about 800 emails for and against masks. Superintendent Brad Buck called those that threatened to defund the school system “disturbing.”
The “motion to implement a mask mandate from pre-K to 12th grade failed, with only one board member — Alex Smith, who is a physician — voting ‘yes.'”
There are 49 studies that prove masks are effective in combatting the spread of the coronavirus.
Here’s WHO’s report: