MIDWEST CITY, Okla. (KFOR) – The Mid-Del Public Schools Board unanimously passed a face mask mandate in all Midwest City and Del City public schools.
The school board voted 5-0 in support of the mandate.
Students will be required to mask up to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and keep students in the classroom. However, an opt out exemption is in place for medical, religious or personal reasons.
Rachel Thomas, who has two kids in Mid-Del schools, attended the meeting in support of a mask mandate.
“I think that we need to believe doctors and trust the science, and we can make our community better if we just start with a mask mandate in the schools,” Thomas said. “I believe that we’re a community and a part of being a community is to do things for one another, and sometimes that means sacrificing a bit of freedom and putting on a mask to protect each other.”
Brittany Hussain, who has three kids in Mid-Del schools, opposes the mandate.
“I feel like as parents we should have a choice when it comes to a mask mandate. I am not against masks. If individuals feel more comfortable wearing a mask or having their children wear masks, I want them to do that. I think it’s really important for every parent to be able to have a choice,” Hussain said.
COVID-19 is spreading rapidly among adolescents, in large part because of the highly contagious Delta variant, and top Oklahoma health officials are recommending juveniles age 12 and up get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Several school districts enacted face mask mandates in recent weeks, including Oklahoma City, Edmond and Yukon.
These actions come after an Oklahoma County District Court judge agreed with a motion for an injunction against Senate Bill 658, an Oklahoma law signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt last May, prohibiting school boards from implementing face mask mandates.
The Oklahoma State Medical Association and a group of teachers filed a lawsuit against the state in Oklahoma County District Court, seeking the lawsuit be declared unconstitutional on multiple grounds.
The plaintiffs then sought an injunction on the law until the court makes a ruling on its constitutionality.
