Public Weighs in on Mask Mandate

Last Thursday Mount Pleasant School Board President Jennifer Crull consulted with Supt. John Henriksen and asked for the district to conduct a survey regarding a possible mask mandate. A survey was sent to parents and staff asking the simple question, “Should the school district implement a mask mandate?”  A total of 858 surveys came back by 8 am Monday. Of the 648 responses from parents 69% said no to a mandate. About 75% of the employees said no to a mask mandate and from the group of employees that are also parents 68% said no.  This information was shared with the public at a board work session Monday night. The High School media center was almost half full with parents and a couple students.  There were 12 parents who spoke against a mandate and five spoke in favor of a mandate. Those in favor cited health concerns for children under 12 who right now can’t be vaccinated. Other comments….the data doesn’t support a mask mandate, wearing masks isn’t the best learning environment and can cause disruption in the classroom.  By far the opinion expressed the most was that this should be a parents choice.  The board was also urged to rely on the collected from each building every day data to make a local decision.