To: Prairie Grove School District 46 School Board and Superintendent Dr. John Bute
From: Parents of Children Attending Prairie Grove School District
Date: 6/26/21
Re: Mask policy for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year to become optional

We the parents of children who attend Prairie Grove School District are requesting you remove the requirement for airway coverings (i.e., masks) in our schools for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year and make masks optional. It is unnecessary and unhealthy to continue to require our children to wear masks. Children should be allowed to breathe fresh air. Parents should be the ones making decisions regarding the safety and well being of our children. We have legitimate medical, religious and philosophical reasons for wanting our children free of masks.
As parents, we are seeing negative effects in our children every day, including headaches, sadness, regression in talking, breathing issues, fearfulness, anxiety, skin infections, increased allergy symptoms, increased asthmatic symptoms, social problems, and psychological damage to name some. We are taking a stand for the mental, physical, emotional, and social wellbeing of our children. The liability for the damage these masks are inflicting on our children lies solely in our hands, yet we are left with no voice in these decisions.
In addition, it is well documented that children are at very low risk for serious complications from the disease COVID-19, even lower than the yearly flu. More than half of Illinoisans are fully vaccinated and the 7-day positive test rate was 1.6% on June 1. All PG teachers and staff have been given the opportunity to receive the vaccination at this point. We understand that if metrics change and Prairie Grove experiences an outbreak at some time, then different protocol might be required for a short time period until the outbreak is under control.
We the undersigned, believe that parents should solely be making the medical decisions for our children. No medical device or intervention should be forced upon students by entities outside of their guardians. Families should be able to utilize their own risk assessment, considering all physical, social/emotional, and mental health risks and benefits when it comes to making medical decisions for our children, including masking.
By signing this petition, we officially and respectfully ask you to end the requirement of masks in the Prairie Grove School and move to a mask optional stance. Thank you.