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Elementary student mask
An amendment to a previous motion by the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) that would only make masks mandatory for students from grades 4 to 12 was defeated at a board meeting on September 15, 2020. The vote was 4 in favor and 5 opposed. The amendment was proposed by Oakville Trustee Helena Karabela.
“This amendment is not against masking for young children, it is about letting parents make the health and medical decisions for their children, which are theirs to make,” said Trustee Karabela during the meeting.
The amendment was for a motion put forward by Oakville Trustee Nancy Guzzo on August 19, 2020 to make masks mandatory for students from junior kindergarten to grade 12. The motion carried with four in favor, two opposed, and one trustee abstaining to vote.
“We were receiving emails and messages right up until the beginning of this meeting today from parents and teachers inquiring about the use of mandatory masks for our kindies to grade three,” said Burlington Trustee Brenda Agnew who seconded the motion.
The motion sparked push back from some members of the Halton community. A petition to rescind the motion was created and has over 2,000 signatures. Seven Halton residents communicated their concerns directly to trustees at a board meeting on September 1, 2020 and four more did so at a board meeting on September 15, 2020.
Conversely, some members of the Halton community are in favor of the motion to make masks mandatory for students of all grades. A petition defending the motion has over 800 signatures. Two Halton residents communicated their defense of the motion at the board meeting on September 15, 2020.
The next HCDSB board meeting is scheduled for October 6, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.
