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To the editor:

Given the latest news from Gov. Cooper, essentially 12 and under have to wear masks (K-8) and 9-12th no mask necessary if vaccinated.

We need to finally have masks on the agenda and take a vote on whether to make these masks optional or not. There is no reason why the Davie board of education can not make their own judgment call on this— five other counties have already done it many more will be voting on it the first week in August.

Masks are now optional for everyone in the following school districts— Rowan, Harnett, Randolph, Union, and Davidson. There is no science to justify a mask mandate especially for K-8.

The BoE needs to at least vote on this ASAP. If the BoE doesn’t have the votes then those who want to keep masks mandatory need to make themselves known and show us the data and science where this makes any kind of sense.

Blowing this off and putting this back on the ABC Collab and their researc” will not cut it— no control groups and no specific studies have been pointed out to show that masks are efficient for K-8 or anyone. Period.

It’s a never ending logic loop of always pointing to someone else, yet, no reports, no data to support. At the last meeting, I asked the BoE to be bold – well now it’s that time. Be bold and make masks optional or be bold and prove to this county that masks work on our kids, that there are no psychological effects from having our kids in a consistent fight or flight mode, that teenage suicides won’t skyrocket, and an exact date when this will stop.

Davie County Schools has psychologists, nurses, former superintendents, and experts – bring them in on Aug. 3.  We want to hear what they have to say about all of this.

The BoE owes the kids, parents, and teachers at least this much and it’s not asking a lot to do so. Thank you for you time and consideration in this matter.

Matthew G. Johnson