Several people have expressed concern about this letter from the STPSB to BESE regarding the mask mandate. Here are a few things to consider:
[TL;DR—The STPSB does not have the power to lift the mask mandate. It would take a court ruling for BESE to overrule the governor. In my view, that is unlikely.]
1. On Thursday, June 10, the STPSB voted to adopt a voluntary mask policy for the 2021-2022 school year with 11 Yeas, 0 Nays, and 1 abstaining.
2. On July 28, the union put out an online survey after the district released its back-to-school COVID protocols. Of the 258 employees who took the survey, 60.2% wanted a voluntary mask policy, 18.6% wanted them mandated for PreK-12, 19% wanted them for grades 3-12, and 1.2% felt the masks should be banned. (Note: We are working to find ways to increase the number who participate, but we do not have private email addresses for all employees.)
3. On August 2, Governor Edwards reinstated the mask mandate, which went into effect August 4. Teachers returned to campus August 3. The first day of school was August 6.
4. On August 5, a large group showed up to the STPSB meeting to protest the mask mandate for students, among other grievances. Of the 47 speakers who made public comments that night, only one spoke up for the need for the mask mandate. Given Open Meetings laws, the Board members could not respond to any of these citizens during the meeting.
5. On August 12, the STPSB held a meeting in Slidell. Mr. Nation asked for a vote to open the agenda to add discussion of a letter to BESE asking them to allow STPSB to determine its own policies regarding masks and other safety issues. The Board voted unanimously to put it on the agenda, which allowed them to discuss the issue. Mr. Nation stated his beliefs that vaccines are the way forward, not masks, and he encouraged the public to get vaccinated, as he had done given that they are “free and widely available.” After a lengthy discussion, the motion to send the letter passed with 9 Yeas, 1 Nea, and 1 Abstain.
As mentioned by the STPSB lawyer, the concept of whether or not BESE can overrule the governor’s mandate is dubious. The idea came from a ruling by Attorney General Landry in 2020, which do not carry the weight of law. The STPSB lawyer’s opinion is that if BESE voted to defy the governor’s mandate in schools, the issue would end up in court where it would likely remain unresolved by the time the current mandate expires on September 1 (with a possibility of it being renewed).
6. BESE will meet to discuss these issues on August 17-18. I am working on a way for employees to email their concerns, either for or against mask mandates in schools, to BESE members and the governor.
7. Prior to the expiration date of the mask mandate, the union will send out another survey to take the pulse of our workforce given that opinions and feelings can shift based on current circumstances. As your representative, it can be difficult to balance the passionate voices on both sides. Sometimes the majority has to win when it comes to across the board solutions, but I will still attempt to help individuals with health concerns, for themselves or their families.
Our survey found that 31% were concerned about their health and safety going into the school year, 29.8% were somewhat concerned, and 39.1% were not concerned. Regarding concern for the health and safety of family members, 37.2% were concerned, 29.5% were somewhat concerned, and 33.3% were no concerned at all.
At the beginning of the year, the common refrain we heard was, “I just want a normal year.” This is clearly not the case. All signs point to this year being at least as challenging as last year. We are currently working on building a case for COVID days, increased compensation, and other means of improving the lives of STPSB employees during these challenging times.
I encourage everyone who has not been vaccinated to do so if you are medically able. The Pfizer vaccine should be FDA approved by the end of August, which I hope will remove a major obstacle that is preventing some people from choosing to get vaccinated.
-Brant Osborn