Masks for the Halton Catholic school board’s youngest students are here to stay – or at least until trustees meet again.
Deep divisions among trustees were on display Tuesday night, as the board heard from delegates asking that face masks be made optional for kindergarten to Grade 3 students.
Last month, the board decided to require masks for all students, despite provincial rules only mandating the face coverings for students in Grade 4 or higher.
The August 19 decision – a 4-2 approval with one abstention – was made on a motion introduced by Oakville trustee Nancy Guzzo with no advance notice to the school community.
Petition asks that masks be optional for youngest Halton Catholic students
In response, parent Steven Rodriguez launched a petition asking the board to reverse its decision and make masks for young students optional.
The petition collected more than 2,000 signatures and encouraged many parents to bring their concerns to the Sept. 1 board meeting.
Rodriguez said the decision ignores advice from organizations like the World Health Organization and the Hospital for Sick Children, who have noted that children under 10 are at the lowest risk of infection and transmission.
“This was quite simply a matter of personal opinions with no scientific backing,” he argued. “This is not how health-related policies should be implemented.”
“It is not feasible for a small child to wear a mask appropriately for this long,” he added. “They constantly touch their ears, eyes, face, nose and put their hands in their mouth making them almost completely ineffective.”
Sofia Bilbao, who has three kids in Oakville Catholic schools, said parents should decide if their young students are capable of safely wearing a mask.
“There is a lack of evidence (as per Sick Kids) of their efficiency and they can easily put our children at an increased risk of exposure to the virus by the incorrect manipulation of the mask,” she said.
She added that the decision has divided the school community.
That division was clear around the board table, as trustees argued about how to respond to the seven delegations, as well as those who sent in letters both supporting and opposing the mask requirement.
Oakville trustee asks for survey
Oakville trustee Peter DeRosa wanted staff to survey the school community and report back to the board.
“This is an appeal to do what we didn’t have time to do when the motion was tabled on Aug. 19 and that is public consultation,” he said. “We as trustees have an obligation to listen to our parents and listen to our communities, and that is what I’m trying to do.”
That motion failed to win support from DeRosa’s trustee colleagues.
It also earned a caution from Patrick Daly, the board’s director of education.
“This board has duly passed a motion to implement masks for students from K-12,” he noted. “By now asking staff to develop a survey asking for parents’ feedback, I think it implies to parents that we are reconsidering that decision.”
Masks cited as back-to-school concern by some families
Daly added that the board’s return to school survey found about 85 per cent of both elementary and secondary students will return to in-person classes.
Those opting for virtual learning were asked about their concerns with returning to the classroom.
He said mask requirements were cited as a concern by 34 percent of those families.
Since the Catholic board extended the mask requirement to all students, other boards have made similar decisions.
Halton public school board will require students in Grades 1 to 12 to wear masks or face coverings.
A petition asking the Halton Catholic board to keep masks mandatory for all students had about 500 names by the beginning of Tuesday’s meeting.
However, the issue isn’t dead yet.
Oakville trustee Helena Karabela has tabled a notice of motion asking the board to amend its previous motion and only require masks for students in Grades 4-12 in line with provincial guidance.
That motion will be considered at the board’s Sept. 15 meeting.