BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - It seems there are more questions than answers when it comes to what school is going to look like this fall in Western New York.
WNY Students First , a local group of parents, teachers, and school district stakeholders, has been following updated CDC guidance on masks, while awaiting local guidelines. "We're looking for a non-reactive, rational policy," said the group's Tarja Parsinnen. "We're not expecting zero Covid. People should recognize that seems unattainable."
The first priority of the group is for fully open schools for all children in all districts. "There's been some confusion about whether this would happen. I've been assured that it will happen. There will be fully open schools," said Parsinnen.
As it relates to universal masking in schools, the group is looking for masks to be tied to community spread and to metrics that, as Parsinnen said, make sense. "What is the exit strategy for masking? Is it low community spread? Is it hospitalization?, " she asked.
Originally hospitalization data was the driver for Covid protocols. Now with the Delta variant, it seems the transmission rate in a community is the trigger point. "It's frustrating because the goal posts seem to keep moving. People seem to be flying blind which leads to lack of trust," she said.
It's unclear if mask or distancing decisions would be made by school districts or at the county level. "If it's the county, we want to be careful about quarantine policies that are not arbitrary and unnecessarily restrictive because we don't think there will be an online option for students." She says if entire classes have to be quarantined for ten days, there will be no school for them. "They can't just log-on as they did last year. It takes away learning time and we're going on month 17 of the pandemic."
Parsinnen wants a conversation. "We need a transparent conversation. Children have had to bear such a heavy brunt of this pandemic. They have followed the rules so well and schools have not been super spreaders. People are willing to bear the burden of masks if there is a clear and present danger. But we need an exit strategy."
Ideally, Parsinnen said it would be great to start the school year with masks optional. Then, when community spread and hospitalization numbers go up,
a mandate would be considered.
Many members of WNY Students First have already gone to court over mask mandates and re-openings. Is the energy and money there for what could be another fight? "It's hard to muster the energy going into month 17, but at the end of the day, we're always going to try to abdicate for our kids in the best way possible," said Parsinnen.
