By David Jackson Forever Communications
Paris, Tenn.–Meeting in lengthy session Tuesday night, the Paris Special School District school board unanimously approved a mandate requiring masks in all school buildings and on school buses. Parents have an opt-out clause as outlined in Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order #84 which was issued Monday afternoon.
The PSSD policy takes effect beginning Wednesday, August 18.
Action on the policy followed a presentation by Henry County Medical Center Dr. Paula Bell with support from several hospital medical staff members who made an impassioned plea for masking requirements.
Some 50 people were in attendance at the meeting, including interested members of the public, teachers and other staff members.
Hospital Board Chairman Dr. Scott Whitby noted how contagious the current Delta variant is. He said with last year’s COVID pandemic, one person with COVID could affect four other people. With the current Delta variant, he said, one person can affect eight other people.
He said of the 40-60 people the hospital has seen over the last six weeks with COVID, to his knowledge only one was vaccinated.
He noted that when he spoke to the Henry County Schools board last year, “I said that someone we know is going to die (from COVID) and that happened three days later.”
Medical personnel said it is thought that the Delta variant will peak by Thanksgiving and it is hoped that masking requirements would not be needed after that.
Director of Schools Dr. Norma Gerrell commended teachers and principals who have been talking to parents every day for contact tracing. School officials said currently there are 207 students on remote learning, under quarantine or under contact tracing in the PSSD district.
Two audience members spoke out against the masking policy. One said that he questions the data and conflicting reports from the medical community. Another said the masking policies are polarizing the community and would cause more people to join the Henry County Stands group which has recently formed.
The PSSD board posted a notice on Facebook after the meeting which includes a letter that can be used to excuse your child from the mask policy. If students do not have masks, one will be provided.
School officials said in the notice, “Thank you for your help as we seek to follow the recommendation of our local medical providers and CDC guidelines to protect our students and staff in PSSD.”
Dr. Paula Bell speaks to the board.
Top photo: Board members listen to presentations on the COVID situation. Photos by David Jackson.