Involve parents in mask decisions

I am immunocompromised and have a higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19. Yet, with less than a day's notice, our school district switched from mandating masks to a mask-optional policy. Two thirds of students in my daughter's class are now maskless, according to one teacher.

The district has not asked for parent feedback since they made their announcement on Feb. 6. They have not encouraged masks or vaccinations, nor have they reminded families that children should stay home if they are sick or anyone else in their family is sick. To make matters worse, as of last week, the desks in my daughter's second-grade classroom were not distanced; in fact, they were touching, side-by-side.

Equally concerning is case reporting. The district's webpage presents only the total number of active cases at each school. This information is not helpful for assessing risk or helping parents decide whether they should see Grandma this weekend. Six cases of COVID-19 have occurred in my daughter's class of 25 since the start of the school year. I was not contacted any of those times, because only close contacts were informed. Are teachers expected to keep track of every student's close contact with every other student in the class at all times? This is unlikely.

North Palos District 117, Oak Ridge Elementary and all other institutions of children's learning do not restrict parent engagement to popcorn nights, reading nights or other social events. As a parent, I want to be involved in decision-making regarding the implementation of procedures that directly impact my kids. Implementation of a new mask-optional policy during a global pandemic is a great place to start.

And to advocates of "personal choice" regarding masks in schools, I ask: when that personal choice puts at risk the lives of others, how much of your choice is truly personal?

Jennifer E. Cossyleon

Bridgeview