To Mask, Or Not to Mask, That is The Question

The mother of students at Irle Elementary is calling on the Glasgow School District Board to lift the mandatory mask mandate for pupils as vaccination rates rise and the pandemic seems to ebb.

“I have been as patient as possible while waiting for all of you up there to come to your senses on this mask policy, all while my children, and most of your children, have suffered every day at school,” Tami Thompson said May 12 during the public comment portion of the school board meeting. “As an adult, I have a mind of my own, and free will. I don't have to go into a place if they are going to require me to wear a mask. But, our kids, they don't get that choice. They are forced, every day, to wear a mask.”

The board was prevented from commenting on the issue during the meeting due to established rules stating only items on the agenda – added at least 48 hours in advance of a meeting – may be discussed.

“We can't take any action on this matter, but we appreciate the public comment,” said Board Chair Angie Page. “It has to be an agenda item to be addressed.”

The item can be submitted for a future school board meeting via business clerk Kelly Doornek, but the board would need to agree to list it on the agenda for consideration.

On May 13, the CDC issued guidance stating fully vaccinated individuals can ditch their masks in most circumstances.

The state mandate for wearing masks – in place since July 2020 – was lifted on February 12 by by Gov. Greg Gianforte (R). After assuming office in January, Gianforte said he would lift the state’s mask mandate once there were liability protections in place for businesses and health care providers, and once enough vulnerable Montana residents were vaccinated against COVID-19.

But, students of Glasgow School District have remained on the hook for masks.

Thompson said parents and school administrators have neglected the health and well-being of area students by continuing to enforce a mask mandate.

“As adults, we are supposed to be protecting them and advocating what is good for them. You all were elected to do that, and at this point every single one of us is failing them for allowing this to continue as long as it has.”

Thompson cited studies posted by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention noting the questionable efficacy of cloth masks. Medical grade masks are much more effective, but have been harder to come by due to global supply shortages.

According to the CDC, “the use of cloth masks during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is under debate. The filtration effectiveness of cloth masks is generally lower than that of medical masks and respirators; however, cloth masks may provide some protection if well designed and used correctly.”

Multilayer cloth masks, designed to fit around the face and made of water-resistant fabric with a high number of threads and finer weave, may provide reasonable protection, according to the CDC.

“Until a cloth mask design is proven to be equally effective as a medical or N95 mask, wearing cloth masks should not be mandated for healthcare workers. In community settings, however, cloth masks may be used to prevent community spread of infections by sick or asymptomatically infected persons, and the public should be educated about their correct use.”

A 2015 CDC study suggests rates of infection were consistently higher among those in the cloth mask group than in the medical mask and control groups. This finding indicates the risk for infection was higher for those wearing cloth masks.

“We hear all this talk about following the science,” Thompson said. “If we really want to follow the science, the actual peer reviewed studies of the effectiveness of masks against the actual virus has continuously been shown to be virtually none.”

Thompson also noted studies have indicated children are not as prone to serious complications if infected with COVID as compared to older adults and the immune-compromised.

As such, the point of masking kids was to prevent them from spreading the disease to vulnerable family members or acquaintances, according to the CDC.

That, Thompson said, may no longer be an issue as vaccinations increase.

“Now, months have gone by and parents are told the mask policy is going to stay in place until the teachers can get vaccinated. Well, the teachers who wanted to get vaccinated should have already been vaccinated.”

Thompson said she will no longer accept “any more excuses” to continue the mask mandate in schools.

“Enough is enough. This has gone on for entirely too long. In Glasgow, there are very few businesses still requiring people to wear a mask. Many schools in Montana are not requiring students to wear a mask. People aren't having it any more. The entire country is waking up to this nonsense.”

Thompson hopes the mask mandate will be lifted by the time school begins again after summer break.

“It is time we take these disgusting masks off our kids,” she said. “Why not end the school year on a positive note and give parents and their kids something to be proud of and something to be excited for next year? It is time to do the right thing.”