Please Sign!!

D-91 Proposed Plan from Parents to Keep Healthy Students and Athletes in School

Given that

-Quarantining of the healthy is taking a toll on kids and parents, causing mental and emotional distress, particularly for those who rely on in class instruction to have a complete educational experience and those who are in extracurricular activities who are missing out on significant portions of their season and activities.

Given that

-Healthy students who were never sick are now returning to school and are faced with a 2nd quarantine.

Given that

- A review published this year found that post traumatic stress scores of children and parents in quarantine were four times higher than those not quarantined (CDC.gov)

Given that

- “The many benefits of in-person schooling should be weighed against the risks posed by Covid-19 spread. Of key significance, in-person learning is in the best interest of students, when compared to virtual learning.” (CDC.gov)

- “Schools should also consider other aspects of students’ risk and well-being that arise..this includes the potential adverse impacts on students’ social-emotional, behavioral, and mental health.” (CDC.gov)

- “In school, students are also able to access support systems needed to recognize and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, appreciate others’ perspectives and make responsible decisions. Such routine, in-person, contacts provide opportunities to facilitate social-emotional development that are difficult, if not impossible, to replicate through distance learning.” (CDC.gov)

Given that

-Covid death rate in Idaho is 256 per million population or .000256% of the population (read that again!) (worldometers.info)

Given that

-Due to mask mandates, exposure is considered “low” to begin with.

Given that

-Other surrounding districts in southeast Idaho are adopting more lenient plans that are more reflective of a .000256% death rate.

We move to adopt a plan that is “symptom-based” rather than a plan that is “contact-based” and are calling for:

• If a student is exposed at school to another individual who is covid positive, then the parents of the “exposed” student will have the option to A. quarantine their child at home for 14 days from the last contact or B. have them continue to go to school but monitor for symptoms and keep them home if symptoms develop.