To the editor:
I am writing in frustration that our local school board continues to mandate masks for the students in Brown County.
If masks stop the spread of COVID-19, we would not have new cases after one and a half years of wearing them. So, what is the reason?
The statement was made by one of the school board members that Brown County is following Bartholomew County and Monroe County guidelines. Why? Johnson County to our north and Jackson County to our south do not require masks. Their schools are comparable in size to Brown County. Columbus and Bloomington are not. Their schools hosted their homecoming events. Our students had to go “off campus” to have their homecoming. Shame on our school board!
The schools could offer health and nutrition information to help students improve their immune systems. Mask wearing does not improve their health. By the end of the school day, the kids’ masks are disgustingly damp and dirty. They do more physical and emotional harm than good.
If our school board members have any hope of re-election, they should start listening to parents and show concern for the students’ overall well-being. Otherwise, we will continue to lose students and morale, and they may lose their jobs.
Marianne Ray, Brown County
Editor’s note: Seymour and Brownstown school districts in Jackson County require masks in school if the county is on the red level for the positivity rate of community spread of the virus.
