The case 'for' letting school districts decide

OPINION

The second-best shot that schools have to ensure the safety of their students in the year ahead is to advocate for the return of local control to school boards and educators on the question of masks in classrooms. The first and best shot -- a literal one at that -- is for educators, parents, and students who are eligible to get vaccinated.

As daily COVID-19 cases in Arkansas reach levels similar to previous high marks, schools are considering the best approaches for providing a safe learning environment. The challenge is that Act 1002 of 2021 prohibits state agencies, including public school districts, from enforcing mask mandates. Though the legislation was passed in April as cases of COVID-19 declined and vaccines became more commonly available, the rapid rise of infections due to the delta variant presents a fresh level of concern as the new school year looms.

Next week, members of the Arkansas General Assembly are expected to revisit the question of local control on the subject of masks. Not only will a majority of members need to agree to amendments to the bill, but two-thirds of each chamber must favor an emergency clause to bring the law into effect immediately. Otherwise, implementation will be on hold for 90 days and will fail to address the urgency of the moment.

This decision directly impacts the teachers, support staff, and administrators throughout our community and across the state. These are the same individuals who rose to last year's challenges with flexibility, patience, and resilience. They prioritized in-person learning and sought ways to support families who were not yet ready for that leap.

As the chief administrator at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, I can assure you that following CDC guidelines works. Last year, our students, faculty, and staff at ASMSA agreed that wearing masks would be the foundation of our commitment to shared responsibility. By doing so, our residential high school had zero cases of COVID among the students who came to campus for in-person instruction last year.

I believe that it is imperative that we continue to follow the recommendations of both our nation's top scientists and local health care professionals. Science is in our name, after all. Currently, 90% of ASMSA's full-time staff are fully vaccinated. We're also on track to having 85% of our student body fully vaccinated as well. As ASMSA's director, I am proud of our campus community's commitment to creating a safe residential learning experience for the new school year.

But as a parent of a child too young to be vaccinated, to say that I'm worried is an understatement.

Recent trends in statewide case numbers are significantly higher today than they were last summer. Arkansas lags the nation in vaccine adoption while being located at the very heart of this third wave of the pandemic. Sean O'Leary, vice chair of the Committee on Infectious Diseases for the American Academy of Pediatrics, notes that the delta variant is not only more transmissible, but that "cases have jumped for kids significantly," in a recent interview with The Washington Post.

As the husband of someone who has multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease, we've walked the tightrope of stressing the importance of masking to our child without sending him into a state of panic. A few years ago, he brought home a stomach bug from school. He had to miss a day of classes. That same virus put my wife in the hospital.

Our family is like countless others in Hot Springs, Garland County, and the state of Arkansas. We're not hypothetical. We're your neighbors. We shop at your businesses. We cheer for your kids and mourn for your losses. We don't have to share identical values to still value the health and safety of those in our community.

That's why I'm an advocate for giving local school districts the autonomy to make their own decisions regarding mask mandates in the best interest of their students, colleagues, and communities.

When I'm asked about the year ahead for schools, I try to find reasons to be optimistic. I find comfort in discussing strategies with fellow educators. I listen to parents and students who express excitement and preparedness for the year ahead. I help families navigate the landscape of sending their teen away to a residential high school during a pandemic.

And finally, I hope.

I will hope that when I send my child off to school in the morning, he returns home safely with excitement, big ideas, and his health intact.

Corey Alderdice is director of the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, the state's only public residential high school for academically and artistically motivated students.

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