By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
As the number of COVID cases begin to rise due to the Delta variant, especially for children, more parents are becoming concerned about the safety of their children as school districts prepare for a return to in-person learning in just a few weeks.
Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and other surrounding school districts plan to continue adhering to the requirements and guidance from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Labor & Industries, and Public Health – Seattle & King County as they plan for the upcoming 2021-22 school year.
SPS says that they are taking appropriate precautions and putting proper protocols in place to ensure that they are providing a safe learning environment for both students and staff. But they also advise that they will make adjustments to these protocols as needed.
“The district is working in collaboration with labor partners to ensure a smooth start to school and may adjust safety protocols based on changes in public health guidance,” assures Tim Robinson, Media Relations Specialist for Seattle Public Schools.
According to SPS, the “universal and correct use of cloth face coverings or masks helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 and is still required for all school personnel, PreK-12 students, families, and visitors for 2021-22. Although, there are specific exceptions based on age, development, or disability.
Regardless of vaccination status, masks will continue to be worn:
• In classrooms and in common areas, except when eating
• On school buses (a medical exemption may be required if mask wearing is not possible for a student)
• At this time, masks are still required to be worn outdoors on SPS building sites even though guidance from Washington Department of Health has changed.
In addition, enhanced PPE will be provided to staff who have contact with students who are unable to wear masks.
However, despite reassurances of safety from local government, school and health officials, many parents have concerns about sending their kids back into school buildings. Many have concerns about new variants, and whether or not the vaccines are adequately protecting children, even those who are old enough to receive vaccines. There are also concerns about children who are too young to receive a COVID vaccine and those who have pre-existing conditions.
Parents like as Darnellia Russell, an entrepreneur and basketball coach, whose daughter has a pre-existing condition says that she is hesitant about sending her daughter back to school.
“I don’t know if I am necessarily secure with sending my child to school,” says Russell. “I really don’t want to send my child back to school for the simple fact that my child has asthma and allergies that are already hard on her.”
Russell is not alone, and rightfully so. The new variant has increasingly sent young people to the hospital in 2021, where in 2020 older generations made up the brunt of the cases.
While one of the main sources for protection throughout the pandemic has been the use of facemasks, the lack of trust as it relates to whether or not people who are not wearing masks have been vaccinated lingers in the back of minds of many parents.
Russell believes that until we get the virus under control that everyone should continue wearing masks in public.
“I feel like we [all] should be wearing masks, kids should be wearing masks,” says Russell. “That is because one, it’s about safety, two, just the fact that you do not know how other people are in their households and you don’t know if everyone is taking this serious or taking precautions, so I feel like there should definitely be a mandate for wearing masks.”
Parents like Shawn and Wendy Amour, co-founders of CompuKidz, a mentorship program for youth, have similar concerns but are preparing their family to begin a new school year. The Amours, who have a 15-year-old son, believe in individual choice. But they also believe that making the vaccine mandatory, in their view, is a viable option if the country is to get back to a sense of normalcy.
“It’s [the vaccines] got to be mandatory,” says Shawn Armour. “I don’t want, one, for the children to be at risk and also carry that risk around to others including myself.”
“There’s a variant out. It’s not like you cannot get it or can’t get something else or can’t get sick,” added Armour. “That’s not going to happen if you don’t take the necessary precautions.
In addition to the variant, Wendy Armour says that she is also concerned about how kids and teachers will reacclimate themselves to in-person learning after a long hiatus from the traditional ways in which education was administered.
“I have two concerns,” says Wendy Armour. “One is of course, is the health issue in terms of the shot and the other was the grading system [during COVID], I didn’t understand that. I know most of the schools had some issues with that. And so, I am concerned about the kids getting acclimated back into being in school and of course the safety and health.”
Despite the concerns, official in SPS and other school districts in the area are optimistic about a return to in-person learning and the safety of the students and staff.
“Looking Ahead to Next School Year, Seattle Public Schools is planning for five full days of in-person instruction at all 104 schools beginning on September 1, 2021 as required by the state,” says Robinson. “We are committed to working with our families, students, and staff to open schools and welcome back all students while continuing to prioritize the health of our school communities. As we plan for the 2021-22 school year, we will be focused creating the conditions necessary for students to thrive. Seattle Public Schools will provide high-quality and engaging learning, a culture of care for students and staff, and will be prepared respond to the needs of our students and school communities.”
While many parents are hearing the messaging from state and local officials, many of them acknowledge that sending their kids back to school is truly an exercise in trust, both in the science and their faith.
“If your kid is old enough to get the vaccination, get the vaccination and be safe,” advises the Armours. “I would definitely say trust your heart, trust your spirit and your mind, not believing what everyone else is saying and what is on the news. So, trust what you believe is right for you and your family.”
This article is one of a series of articles produced by The Seattle Medium through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to Word In Black, a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country.
