VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — As students are officially back in the classroom, conversations continue on what the status of masks will be.
Right now, masks are required for grades K-6th and masks are only required in certain situations from grades 7-12.
Though there was less people in attendance, some kept sharing the same impassioned message, calling for an end to masks in VCSC.
Josh Holt voiced his displeasure about masks calling for legal action.
Agreeing with him was Matthew Harvey.
“Is it just for optics? Requiring students to wear masks is almost like you’re putting a muzzle on them. It’s sad to see,” he added.
Although a majority of public speakers say they supported masks, Toni Norris thinks masking should be a personal choice.
“None of us have asked the school corporation to take care of our children or to decide what is best for our children. It should be the parents choice. If somebody wants their children to mask or feels more comfortable masking, I think that’s appropriate,” Norris said.
She added one of her kids has suffered multiple nosebleeds , a side effect she says is from having to mask up.
Terre Haute South High School student, Nathan Hawkins, said he doesn’t mind masking saying after a year of doing it, saying he doesn’t notice it.
According to data presented by V.C.S.C., as of Aug. 23 there are 188 students quarantined, 48 active cases, 12 staff cases, and 16 staff quarantines.
Superintendent, Dr. Rob Haworth, says while quarantines are out of the hands of the corporation, what the corporation can do, is make sure students and staff wear masks.
“What we’re trying to do by the policy that we have in place is how do we keep those masks on? When the first question that’s asked is if you’re identified as someone who is sick is, did you have a mask on? If the answer is yes, life gets a lot easier for a lot of people,” Haworth said. “We believe masking is helping us to keep student and staff quarantines low.”
Click on this link for a complete of V.C.S.C’s re-opening plan.
“If we protect them from everything, make them sanitize, wear masks, and stay away with all germs. They’ll only get sicker, that’s the truth,” Norris said.
As the school year progresses, a new team of local medical professionals will assist in COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
The team members are:
Dr. Darren Brucken, Lori Danielson, Dr. Jacquelin Holder, Dr. Andrew McDonald, Dr. Eric Pickrell, Dr. Phillip Reed, Dr. Mark Schuld, Jennifer Templeton, Dr. Steve Templeton.
Dr. Tom Balitewicz, Eleni Miller, and Bill Riley will also meet with the group.
“As COVID-19 has evolved, our practice has evolved as well. When we first started, this was not as politically explosive as it is today,” Haworth said.
V.C.S.C. is expected to meet in early September to discuss revisions to the plan.
