Content Accordion

Public Comment 241
Public Comment 242
Public Comment 243
Public Comment 244
Public Comment 245
Public Comment 246

Submitted by: Heather Fillmore

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please do not mandate masks for Our kids. We moved here from Washington state because the restrictions put in place for the children were the focus NOT education and actually teaching them something. It should be a choice not a mandate! Those that want to wear them can and those that choose not to shouldn’t be made to do it!
Public Comment 247
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Public Comment 252

Submitted by: Benjamin Bobich

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Hello Board, I have three children at Mesquite Elementary (K, 3rd, 5th). We had a COVID case reported on 8/16 for a kid who was in class last on 8/10 for the third grade class. We kept our daughter home as a precaution. Contact tracing happened, and unfortunately despite this, another child came down with COVID a few days later. I had some discussions with the nurse, and learned that 1) Contact tracing is often done via school tables (who sits next to whom) and 2) The quarantines done via the contact tracing are not actually enforced. For example, if my child was contact traced, and had no symptoms, the school would not be able to prevent me from sending her in to school. No COVID test needs to be taken to return. The outcome of this is that COVID breakouts in classrooms are not getting "shut down" and infections could drag, causing kids to miss copious amounts of school. The final scary thing I learned is that even when there is a breakout, the kids in the classroom around the breakout aren't wearing masks. Only about a quarter of the kids were masking up when we had a known breakout in the classroom. To be frank this situation frightens me. When there is a breakout, we as a community are not doing what medical professionals would ask us to do, nor are we as a community applying adult judgement to the situation to prevent infections and get our kids able to stay in school. I would like you to consider the following for the sake of keeping schools open: 1) Allow the school to enforce contact tracing quarantine. Today all that happens is the parents get an email. Nobody enforces it, and this is a factor in our continued break out infections that can easily be fixed. 2) Require contact traced kids to have COVID tests to return. 3) If the teachers could raise awareness with students directly that there was a COVID case in the classroom after a report and offer the class masks which they can use at their discretion, this may help stem the spread. If the students are aware that COVID was in the class, even young children will be smart enough to mask up when offered one. Each teacher (not just the nurses) needs to be able to distribute the masks. It need not be the grown ups call in these types of situations when there is a known case. The teacher can offer masks as politeness, and the students should be able to accept it by their own judgement. 4) When there is a breakout, that classroom needs to be prepared to go online right away, just for a short time period. If we don't do this, the kids who slip the contact tracing process spread the disease over multiple weeks, resulting in breakouts that can affect a whole academic term. When we have a breakout case, we have to nip the problem in the bud much more aggressively. 5) Some schools are making masks part of the school dress-code instead of mandating masks thereby avoiding political conflict. If the school can legislate dress code policy around midriffs and skimpy shirts, they can do so with the masks as well. I don't know if such a measure would pass the school board, but I encourage you to discuss it, especially if it will help avoid a school closure. Thanks for your consideration. I hope someone has even better ideas as to how we can keep the schools open. Maybe these are a start, and help foster some creativity and ultimately lead to better solutions. Regards, Benjamin Bobich
Public Comment 253

Submitted by: Molly Heaton

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please, please leave the choice of wearing masks up to individuals and parents. We have four children in the school district, have been attending GPS schools for 9 years and LOVE our schools. I have been very disappointed in GPS the past few years in regards to mask mandates and virtual/hybrid learning. My youngest started Kindergarten and will not continue at his school if he is mandated to wear a mask. It is not in the best interest of our kids, especially our elementary school aged kids. We have many choices for schools around us, and as much as I would like to stay with GPS, I will do whatever is best for my children. In the past GPS has been a highly respected and sought after school district, and I hope the board will carefully consider all its decisions to keep our school district the best around.
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Public Comment 256

Submitted by: Kelly Driscoll

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: We are in week 3 of the school year and I have already had to test my children for COVID twice due to their exposure. The lack of masks worn at the school is astonishing. Others personal choices are putting my kids health and safety at risk. I don’t see how requiring masks is any different than requiring shoes. It’s a hygiene and safety issue and we are in unprecedented times. Masks have been proven to help with the spread of this dangerous disease and this is the only defense we have for children under 12. Please protect my kids right to a safe education and environment to learn in and require masks until there is a vaccine available for kids.
Public Comment 257

Submitted by: Rachelle Bulbulian

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I'm coming to you with desperation as parent with a barely 5 year old KINDERGARTNER and 2nd grader to PLEASE PLEASE KEEP MASKS OPTIONAL. Last year with my 2nd grader (then 1st grader), we had many mornings of meltdowns and anxiety about mask wearing and as a parent it was heartbreaking sending my child day after day knowing she was miserable, anxious and unhappy. She is happy again going to school, seeing her friends and her teachers faces and emotionally interacting again. Now having an kindergartener this year who will NOT wear a mask, I will be forced to pull my children and homeschool if masks become mandated again. THEY WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL. Please continue to make it parents choice. Thank you.
Public Comment 258

Submitted by: Jessica Gillespie

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Parents need to have the right to decide whether or not their child should wear a mask. Any person who is concerned about contracting Covid is more than welcome to wear a mask and get the vaccine if they so choose. This board does not have the authority to make this call. Governor Ducey has been very clear about this issue. Let me remind you that your decisions have lasting consequences. Last year we saw thousands of parents withdraw their children from public schools and teachers were riffed because of the lack of leadership shown by this board. Instead of listening to parents, you sat back and kept our kids home. How do we know you won’t do this again? At this point you are playing politics and using our kids are leverage. Stop sending the message that we don’t have the right to decide what is best for our children.
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Submitted by: Carrie Mueller

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I am surprised by the comments of those that want masks. The science and studies have proved they are ineffective. And our children are suffering the most with masks on - gasping for air, breathing their own CO2 for 8 hours, worried that there is something wrong with them and increasing unnecessary anxiety. From a medical standpoint, all of the scare tactics are unfounded - our current dashboard is far from being concerning. Please do the research, please don't listen to people that do not have all of the facts, and understand that this is not a decision for you. As always, much gratitude for all of your time in a volunteer position standing up for our children.
Public Comment 262
Public Comment 263

Submitted by: Kemra Nelson

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please keep masks optional for our children. With vaccines readily available, the dangers of Covid are minimal. There are are many detrimental side effects to masking our children. Please give us the choice. I will not allow my children to wear a mask for 7 hours a day. I will pull all 4 of them from GPS and put them in a district that gives us a choice. Thank you for listening.
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Submitted by: Mel

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Covid is spreading quickly at Carol Rae and absences among students and staff are unprecedented. Now that an outbreak has been identified through tracing, Covid is sure to continue to spread quickly as few are wearing masks. Students can not learn if they are not in school nor with teachers absent. Elementary students are not able to get vaccinated and is has been shown that young kids spread the virus more quickly. Our community of health care workers are suffering emotionally, physically, mentally and are health care system is under a huge amount of stress with a health care worker shortage. It is the districts responsibility to provide a safe environment for students and staff and that is not happening at this time. CDC guidelines recommend that students/staff wear masks. I firmly believe students need to be in-person learning, HOWEVER, it needs to be done in a safe manner and there is no easier safety pre-caution to be taken than wearing masks. The Great American Compromise---school is in-person then mask up! As far as Ducey's threats of withholding money, it's an illegal use of Covid relief money and the Feds have stated that. I'm waiting for the first lawsuit of someone that gets Covid at school because basic safety precautions were not taken. You can bet that if I get Covid at school I would be looking into negligence by GPS. I also think that the district should send out a survey to parents that have students attending IN GPS and ask whether or not they want a mask mandate. Take some pressure off the Board and get the input of the true constituents of GPS, not some loud, foul mouth, threatening adults that do not have children attending GPS. Also, the district needs to re-state/up-date a clear protocol for when the numbers become to much for the system to handle-- what is the plan--back on line? school by school basis? percent of cases? nothing? There are currently no definite protocols happening at schools. There is no 6 ft apart, there is no cleaning of desks, students still sit facing each other, rooms are not being treated when a person with Covid is identified as having been in the room, students are sharing supplies..............Up your game GPS if you truly want to CARE and CONNECT.
Public Comment 267

Submitted by: Lisa Mattison

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: PLEASE KEEP MASKS OPTIONAL!!! We are just asking for the freedom to choose. Let everyone do what is comfortable for their family. We have done the research for the pros and cons of mask wearing and we are making a choice based on that.
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Submitted by: Andy

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: There was a case reported in my daughters class the second week of School. School has only been in session a few weeks and cases are exponentially growing. We all know the trajectory this virus is spreading at in schools with No masks. This strain as you all know infects children much more easily and is twice as contagious. I did online kindergarten with my daughter last year and we made it work but she needs to be in person school with friends and teachers so badly. In the next 2-4 weeks cases will be forcing us to go back to online learning because of super high infection numbers. It’s either that, or masks. We need to keep our schools Open. And the only way to Do that is to mandate masks in schools and follow the CDC guidance to Keep our children, teachers, staff and elders at home safe. Please mandate masks so kids can have school in person safely!
Public Comment 271
Public Comment 272
Public Comment 273

Submitted by: Tara Coleman

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I don’t know how many times this needs to be said, but the problem with leaving masking up to the individual is that masks are not worn solely for your own protection, but are worn TO PROTECT OTHERS. Your surgeon does not wear a mask to protect themselves. It is for your protection! Nobody wants to wear a mask. I get it. And nobody is saying masks offer 100% protection either. But they are one important piece that is now missing from our covid mitigation strategy, and it shows. By day 12 of school both of my kids had received mandatory quarantine notifications and our school has been identified as having an outbreak. I am sorry to those of you who “struggled” last year.. but until your child is admitted into the ICU, you have not struggled. Do the right thing and wear a mask. It’s really not that hard.
Public Comment 274

Submitted by: Elaine Kendrick

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: We have three children attending 91�� Elementary, and only one of them is old enough to be vaccinated. In the first three weeks of school we were notified that two of our children had potential exposures to COVID-19. They are part of the 5-10% of students/staff/parents who wear masks on campus. They also tested negative. The scientific data worldwide supports the effectiveness of wearing masks to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Our children were enrolled in Global Academy last year and they are so happy to be back on their school campus. We are hoping to be able to keep them there, but as the Delta Variant spreads, and the number of exposures increases, we will need to act if school leaders don’t. We are asking that GPS join the growing number of AZ school districts who are prioritizing the health and safety of their students and staff. If school leaders are unwilling to do this, they no doubt will see a decline in enrollment, hopefully due to parent choice and not severe illness and death. Please do the right thing. The community and federal government will ultimately support the prudent decision.
Public Comment 275

Submitted by: Shannon

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I am writing as a parent and substitute teacher in the district for the past 6 years. I subbed all through the pandemic. Returning this year with no mask has been so incredible. The students seem happier and more eager to learn. I personally feel that those who are concerned can chose to wear a mask or be vaccinated. Please don’t chose to bring back masks and risk losing more funding. I personally know so many people who will leave GPS if this is done. Thanks for your time!
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Submitted by: Mary B.

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: As the number of cases continue to rise in our district, I respectfully ask that you reinstate the mask mandate through the end of September in an effort to slow the spread. Our case numbers at Highland and neighboring Towne Meadows, where my daughter teaches, were higher last week than they were all of last year. Parents are sending their kids to school while sick or awaiting results, further putting our community at risk. We know that masks are an effective mitigation strategy, and I hope this will be considered tonight.
Public Comment 281
Public Comment 282
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Public Comment 284

Submitted by: Katie Miller

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please allow masks to remain a matter of parental choice. I feel like the constituency of the schools would like personal freedoms. It is very important to me and my family, and we will not accept mandated masking. We will move from the school district to a charter school if need be. Thank you.
Public Comment 285
Public Comment 286

Submitted by: Aubrey Flaherty

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Mask wearing limit the opportunity for emotional connection at a young age when it’s most needed. Mask wearing also diminishes the quality of emotional health for our young ones who are most vulnerable in this area at this stage in their life. Covid is a real threat. But children are the least affected by covid, if at all. Please preserve their mental health in those young formative years.
Public Comment 287

Submitted by: Katie Layton

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please make wearing masks up to the parents of each student. We do not need a school board dictating what we choose for our children. I have seen up to 5 kids wearing masks in a school with 3,000 students. None of my children’s teachers wear masks. That should be your answer right there! Let each individual have a choice! Stop playing dictator or you will have a riot on your hands. We are not going to play nice like last year.
Public Comment 288

Submitted by: Lauren

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Thank you for allowing masks to be a choice. I’m at the elementary school frequently and not very many kids are wearing them. Parents don’t want their kids masked. If they do, the kids will wear one. I’m grateful I have a choice whether my kids need a mask or not.
Public Comment 289
Public Comment 290

Submitted by: Lana Shumway

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please do not institute a mask mandate for GPS students. Children and teachers have been getting vaccinated, COVID numbers rise and fall despite areas having strict mask mandates, and the children should not be masked just to show an “effort” to look like we’ve done something. The facts are that COVID is not dangerous to children. Teachers and staff are vaccinated. We do not need to do more just to virtue signal. Children suffer greatly when they are masked all day. It’s awful.
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Submitted by: Shanna

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: No masks please. This is getting out of hand. There is no science that they even work. Right on the package it states... does not protect against COVID 19. I’m an RN and the results of masks are far worse than what most people think. These little kids breathing in germs all day long and not getting appropriate O2. Plus mentally this is SO harmful. Keep this optional please!! Medical freedom!!!
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Submitted by: Lindsay Sheffield

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please don't consider a mask mandate. We will pull our three kids from the school district if it is reinforce. I really don't want to do that, so please vote no. I, as a parent don't believe masks are in my kids best interest. Please let me make health decisions for my own children.
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Submitted by: Annalee

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please do not force children to wear masks. If they want to wear them, they have the freedom to do so. Our children are not at risk with this virus. Teachers can be vaccinated if they choose. They need their immune systems to not be covered up and do what they were made to do. Masks are not healthy for our kids, not to mention the social cues, hearing their teacher, fogging up glasses, acne, chapped lips, anxiety and the list goes on. Thank you!
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Submitted by: Tyler Hamelwright

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I urge you to continue with Parental Choice for masks on Children. During the last budget and signed into law by the state legislature and Governor, mask mandates are not allowed in the schools. Please continue to follow this guidance. There are many that want kids and parents to have choices. Please fulfill this request.
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Submitted by: Bob Haro

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: As school board members you have an obligation to educate our children in a safe and secure environment as possible. Today our students are going to school with less protections than they had last school year when a far less dangerous variant of the virus was the dominant strain. It makes zero sense to lessen mitigation controls when a more contagious and dangerous strain now accounts for 90% of the infections in the country and 98% of the infections in Arizona. Please rethink your position on masking, vaccinations, and other control factors, and do so immediately before it is too late and our schools have to be shut-down to control the spread. Please don’t hide behind an obvious right-wing law that may soon be found to be unconstitutional Show the courage of several other school districts in the State that have put the well being of our children ahead of the politics of the day.
Public Comment 312

Submitted by: Ashby Hatch

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I am writing the board to voice my opinion on keeping masks optional. As a parent of 5 students in GPS schools and as a substitute teacher, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to allow families to govern themselves. I have been in the schools. Families that choose to wear masks 100% have that option. Families that choose NOT to wear masks also 100% have that option. If a mandate is put on everyone to wear a mask that mandate only negatively affects the half that don’t agree with mask wearing. A policy of self governing allows all parties the option to choose what is best for their families and children. Thank you for allowing my children the opportunity to see their teachers faces, to see their smiles, and clearly hear their encouragement. You have no idea how hard it was on my kids last year to wear a mask everyday. Their morale has improved tenfold and when asked, they prefer not wearing masks at school. Please continue to keep them optional.
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