Content Accordion

Public Comment 481
Public Comment 482

Submitted by: Natalie Wright

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Keep masks optional, especially for the younger children. The vaccine is readily available for any teachers and staff and older children. All the adults in our home and our child who is 12 have been vaccinated. The current health and safety protocols are sufficient.
Public Comment 483

Submitted by: Natalie Wright

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Keep masks optional, especially for the younger children. The vaccine is readily available for any teachers and staff and older children. All the adults in our home and our child who is 12 have been vaccinated. The current health and safety protocols are sufficient.
Public Comment 484
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Public Comment 493

Submitted by: Danielle

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: We have the right to choose whether or not our children wear masks at school, this should not be forced. Especially when, masks were being instructed to be worn last school year, OUTSIDE on the playground in 110 weather. However, it wouldn't have mattered if it was 60 degrees. They should ABSOLUTELY NOT be told to wear them outside on the playground. Also, these kids get their masks extremely dirty. Soiled. Some wear the same ones over again without cleaning. It is not healthy one bit and causes even more germs to get on their faces. Another important thing to note is that everyone is allowed to take off masks while seated at a restaurant, or in the school cafeteria, right? So the kids are already being "exposed" to one another every day anyway! They should be allowed to take them off at their desks too if you are really going to go through with this. Please do not mandate masks. We've been through enough.
Public Comment 494

Submitted by: Melissa Wing

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please do not mandate masks at school! Leave this decision up to the parents and stop taking away personal freedoms! Children cannot understand the teacher and struggle to hear what is being said when masks are worn! I have kids in both the high school and elementary school and this was a daily complaint last year from all 3 of my kids!
Public Comment 495
Public Comment 496

Submitted by: CH

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Dr. McCord and Governing Board, I request that 91�� Public Schools resumes a face covering mandate on all campuses and school vehicles to help prevent the spread of covid as demonstrated by the recent actions taken by 15+ school districts in AZ and numerous school districts around the US. Face coverings are currently advised by the CDC, American Academy of Pediatrics, Arizona Department of Health Services, Maricopa County Public Health, Arizona School Boards Association (ASBS), and mandated by the Federal Dept. of Transportation. Many children are already showing signs of illness on our campuses our first month back to school, but how many parents are testing their children for covid? Social media is filled with advice from parents on how to medicate and minimize signs of their children's illnesses, advise against covid testing, and advise against reporting illnesses to their schools. This includes illnesses in addition to covid. You are asking parents to be responsible and "strongly encourage" wearing face coverings but how much responsibility is apparent? On my child's campus, approximately 80-90% of students and staff are not wearing masks and our first covid exposure letter involves a teacher. Yet the GPS dashboard reflects little because not enough people are getting tested for covid and not enough parents are reporting to their schools. This is an intentional act, publicly visible on social media. Please resume a mask mandate for the health and safety of our schools' students, staff, and all families. Thank you for your consideration.
Public Comment 497
Public Comment 498
Public Comment 499

Submitted by: Joel Solle

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: The Delta variant is spreading and affecting children. COVID cases in our school are growing quickly and quarantining for exposure is not required. Please, protect the unvaccinated and require masks in school. Please require quarantining for contacts to slow the spread. Please require masks on school buses. In person school is best, but at what cost? My child has been hospitalized for RSV. I’m fearful for what COVID would do. It’s hard asking young children to wear their masks throughout the day when their peers aren’t wearing one and their teachers aren’t enforcing it. We can’t afford another year at Global Academy, but we can’t afford to lose our health either. Thank you.
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Public Comment 505

Submitted by: Brandy Young

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I feel very strongly as many other parents in my community, that ALL elementary schools should require masks until vaccine is available for younger kids. They wore mask last year, they are use to it and they do not want to go back to online school. They thrive attending school.
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Public Comment 513

Submitted by: Kimberly Stickler

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I would just like to take a moment to ask that you keep mask option for all students and staff. Every child, parent, and teacher should have the option to choose whether they would prefer to wear a mask or not. My children had more bacterial infections and had to take more antibiotic last year while wear mask, than they have in all their previous years spent in school. Most children (or adults for that matter) do not wear them correctly; did you know you should change your mask every 30 minutes. Leave the choice up to the parents and your teachers! Thank you.
Public Comment 514
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Public Comment 527

Submitted by: Cara-Lee Alford

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please give special needs families the same choices general education families have to keep their children safe!! We are beside ourselves trying to find online options for our kids. I have friends in tears everyday because they have to send their special needs kids to in person schools that are not protecting them. Our kids are among the most vulnerable. They cannot tell us when they feel sick, when something hurts or where, if it is hard to breathe. By the time we figure out if they are having a sensory issue or they are ill, they can can be quite sick. If you want to see an example in your own district real this story. https://www.abc15.com/news/region-southeast-valley/gilbert/gilbert-family-struggles-after-son-with-autism-contracts-covid-19?fbclid=IwAR0VC8HhPSqa0WNEzf0nNpwBbCpgkcwUU6DrMa_WbdE3Wyl325z43gXcGB0 While neurotypical children are being given the option of funding to find schools if they are being forced to mask, or kids are being forced into schools with no masks, and we don’t want them there. They are forcing the children into crowded lunch rooms and won’t even let them eat in their classrooms to keep them safe. My kids cannot attend in person because one of my sons is at high risk from covid. My only option was homebound services. They still haven’t started, they don’t even know what form the education is going to be presented in, and charters have wait lists for online. I just want the option to be online like last year. Like general education students are allowed. We are begging for help. We are desperate for relief. Please, give our kids the choice to stay safe and still get an education too!!
Public Comment 528
Public Comment 529
Public Comment 530

Submitted by: Gena Foulger

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Do not issue a district mask Mandate. Please keep masks optional! As a parent of a child with hearing loss, masks make it extremely hard for my daughter to hear and understand what is going on in classrooms. Even with the help of technology assistants, masks make it difficult for my child to hear classmates, and teachers.
Public Comment 531

Submitted by: Aimee Sprik

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: We transferred our son into this district, after observing the way GPS handled aspects of the pandemic and in-person learning last year. We were impressed that this district took it seriously, followed the science, and didn't sway to ridiculous political pressure. Public health isn't and shouldn't be political. We appreciated that GPS continued the mask requirement through the end of the school year last year, and that this district currently maintains a Covid dashboard. We would love to see GPS reinstate a mask requirement for students and staff indoors. Science demonstrates that masking is an effective way to slow the spread of this potentially deadly virus. Our son is currently only one of a few students at school who wears a mask. While he's received pushback and unnecessary commentary from his peers (especially while being the new kid), he's resolute in wearing one because he cares about others and understands why it's important. School districts all over Arizona and the country are reinstating their mask requirements... they're following the science, and GPS can, too! Our home district is QCUSD, and they've made it crystal clear that politics are far more important to them than the health and safety of their students and staff. We have friends who work as staff and more who send their children to QCUSD schools - they don't even bother to follow the weak mitigation strategies they list on their websites. Be smarter and better than Queen Creek... be a LEADER... don't be them.
Public Comment 532

Submitted by: Miriam Hornbarger

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I have 4 kids at a Augusta Ranch. My kindergartener and preschooler both have speech IEPs. Masks would make it extra complicated for them to hear sounds and see their teachers annunciate words. With masks on, they mumble and don’t speak as clearly. Much of their growth and learning at this age literally depends on not being forced to wear a mask. My older two kids can’t see their friends’ faces. They can’t see and read as easily as the mask is always moving under their eyes. I believe the masks make no difference whether they get sick or not. Children are not the at-risk demographic for covid, only the victims of the many overly pushed restrictions and mandates.
Public Comment 533
Public Comment 534

Submitted by: Andrea Faith

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I am sending this as a concerned mother, teacher and resident of 91��. I am proud to live in a state that is upholding our constitutional freedoms. I support Gov. Duecy’s ban on mask mandates. Mandating masks is child abuse. Mandating masks is a violation of our United States freedom. Masks are ineffective for the purpose claimed and potentially harmful. Masks are ineffective and in many ways they harm. It’s a myth that masks prevent viruses from spreading. The overall evidence is clear: Standard cloth and surgical masks offer next to no protection against virus-sized particles or small aerosols. I encourage the board to uphold the ban on mandates and leave the decision to parents. Thank you. Sincerely, Andrea Faith, M.Ed. Kindergarten teacher GPS employee since 2007
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Public Comment 539

Submitted by: Tamera Miller

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please keep masks optional! I have 3 children in the GPS system. Last year I pulled them all out to attend a charter school that observed parental choice, and the only reason we came back this year is due to the recent law passed and signed by Ducey making it illegal to make them mandatory. Please stop using our children as political pawns and let's get back to focusing on education. After over a year of the pandemic, plenty of studies have suggested that Covid is not a deadly threat to children (adults/teachers) can choose to get the vaccine, and masks don't make a difference against it, but have other serious negative results. Please be brave enough to follow the science and educate our families instead of making this a political game. Please let families choose what is best for their kids and follow their own doctors advice. I have included some studies and articles if you choose to read them. Thank you for your time! https://www.wsj.com/articles/masks-children-parenting-schools-mandates-covid-19-coronavirus-pandemic-biden-administration-cdc-11628432716 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7024e1.htm https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/health/covid-child-teen-depression-anxiety-wellness/index.html https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/....please note here how the death rate in children in 18 months of a pandemic is less than the 2018-2019 full season, yet we never required masks before. https://cnsnews.com/article/national/susan-jones/cdc-335-children-0-17-have-died-covid-0673-all-childhood-deaths Cognitive health decline in children due to masks: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.10.21261846v1.full.pdf Tamera Miller 91�� tax payer and mom of 4
Public Comment 540
Public Comment 541
Public Comment 542
Public Comment 543

Submitted by: Sharla Nelson

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please keep masks optional. If you have visited a gilbert school lately I think you will see that the majority of families want to make the choice for themselves whether or not to wear masks. Please consider what the parents want. I am afraid that if you do make masks mandatory, I will pull my children out of this district. I am tired of playing this game. Thank you.
Public Comment 544

Submitted by: Angela Dravis

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please continue to keep masks optional in 91�� public schools and allow families to choose what is right for their own children. As a parent I have and will continue to do what is necessary for my family to stay happy healthy and learning in a successful manner. Those decisions are personal and should continue to be .
Public Comment 545

Submitted by: John Eggerling

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Hello GPS board! I’m writing today to express my concern for the board to keep masks optional for our children. This decision should be up to the family to decide since it is a medical decision that affects our children’s mental and physical well-being. Our family loves our 91�� public schools and does do not wish to have to remove them if this board decides to implement mask mandates. Our children suffered greatly physically and mentally due to having to wear face coverings all day in the last school year. We vowed to our children we would never put them through that again. Please do not take this decision out of our hands. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. We realize that you are in an impossible position as there are families on both sides of this debate. At the end of the day, however, the decision should remain up to the parents.
Public Comment 546

Submitted by: Janice Martin

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: As a person of high risk living with a student too young to be vaccinated, please require masks in schools and on busses. The Delta variant is dangerous and affecting children. I urge you to be stricter with when it comes to who should and should not be quarantined. This will help reduce the spread at school. Please, consider requiring vaccinations as a requirement for those who can are eligible. The Pfizer vaccine FDA approved. At a minimum, please adhere to CDC guidelines. Thank you!
Public Comment 547
Public Comment 548
Public Comment 549

Submitted by: Jamie Eggerling

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Hello GPS board! I’m writing today to express my concern for the board to keep masks optional for our children. This decision should be up to the family to decide since it is a medical decision that affects our children’s mental and physical well-being. Our family loves our 91�� public schools and does do not wish to have to remove them if this board decides to implement mask mandates. Our children suffered greatly physically and mentally due to having to wear face coverings all day in the last school year. We vowed to our children we would never put them through that again. Please do not take this decision out of our hands. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. We realize that you are in an impossible position as there are families on both sides of this debate. At the end of the day, however, the decision should remain up to the parents.
Public Comment 550
Public Comment 551

Submitted by: Rebekah Wilson

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I would like to ask the district to consider requiring masks within classrooms and school buildings. I know it is not popular, but it is part of the school's job to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for our kids. With COVID still rampant, I personally feel masking is the best way to keep our schools open. If we can just mask through this fall then the issue can be revisited in the spring. I know I can tell my child to wear a mask at school, but how successful is that going to be for a 5th grader when his friends and teachers aren't wearing them? This is about public health, not politics or popular opinion. Masking is our first defense to keep people from being sick. Please consider this tonight. Thank you for your time and efforts, I understand this has been a long year and a half and it hard. I appreciate your time regardless of your decision. Thank you.
Public Comment 552

Submitted by: John Eggerling

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Hello GPS board! I’m writing today to express my concern for the board to keep masks optional for our children. This decision should be up to the family to decide since it is a medical decision that affects our children’s mental and physical well-being. Our family loves our 91�� public schools and does do not wish to have to remove them if this board decides to implement mask mandates. Our children suffered greatly physically and mentally due to having to wear face coverings all day in the last school year. We vowed to our children we would never put them through that again. Please do not take this decision out of our hands. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. We realize that you are in an impossible position as there are families on both sides of this debate. At the end of the day, however, the decision should remain up to the parents.
Public Comment 553
Public Comment 554

Submitted by: Sheri Skousen

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: While COVID numbers in children are high right now, the CDC data shows they are still lower than a typical flu outbreak and there are fewer hospitalizations and deaths than from the flu. We don't mask for the flu, we shouldn't mask now.
Public Comment 555

Submitted by: Erika Biggs

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Don’t subdue free choice. If a person is worried, they can wear a mask, but don’t force their worrying on everyone. Last year the wave of infection still soared, despite mask usage. It’s not effective and only instills another burden on teachers and administrators as something to police.
Public Comment 556

Submitted by: Melissa Miller

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please keep masks a choice. There are plenty of studies out there about the harm it does to keep kids in masks all day every day. I would hate for the district to continue losing money because of masks. If people continue to be afraid, there are other options. But when the majority is for mask choice, we should continue getting that choice. Parents should decide what is best for their kids.
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