Protecting Transylvania County Children
The Transylvania County Board of Education voted twice, on August 2, 2021 and August 16, 2021, to have an official “masks optional” policy in Transylvania County Schools despite rising numbers of COVID-19 cases. These votes are against the recommendations of the CDC, numerous other medical and scientific based organizations.
The CDC, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Transylvania County Public Health Department, and over twenty of our local physicians strongly advise that all students, staff, teachers, and visitors wear a mask indoors in K-12 schools, and guidance is based on scientific data rather than politics, emotion, and misinformation.
The Transylvania County Democratic Party formally supports the guidelines recommended by the CDC, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Transylvania County Public Health Department, and our local physicians for students, teachers, staff, and visitors to wear a face mask in all indoor spaces that are part of Transylvania County Schools.
The Transylvania County Democratic Party formally petitions the Transylvania County Board of Education to reconsider the “masks optional” policy, in light of the danger to children, staff, and teachers. Schools are educational institutions that deal in facts, critical thinking, and reason rather than beliefs, politics, and emotions. The Board of Education is urged to model the use of reason to our students, their families, and the community.
The Transylvania County Democratic Party strongly urges all teachers and staff to act as role models for students and wear masks in all indoor spaces in Transylvania County Schools.
This resolution is offered in the hope that the protective measures are temporary, and that they will be revoked when the Federal, State, and Local COVID-19 guidelines are no longer necessary to protect the health of our students, staff, and teachers.
Transcript of Resolution:
Whereas, on July 28, 2021 the Transylvania County Public Health Department weekly COVID-19 update indicated 53 additional cases in the past 7 days, a Positive Test Rate of 20% and a total of 2,500 cases, and
Whereas, on July 29, 2021 Governor Cooper and the NC Department of Health and Human Services released updated guidance to slow the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, and this guidance included face coverings in all K-12 schools and child care facilities, and
Whereas, on August 4, 2021 the Transylvania County Public Health Department weekly COVID-19 update indicated 93 additional cases in the past 7 days, a Positive Test Rate of 47% and a total of 2,593 cases, and
Whereas, on August 10, 2021 the Transylvania County Public Health Department reported that Transylvania County was identified as an area of high transmission of COVID-19 by the CDC’s Community Transmission Map, and continued to recommend a “layered” approach to protection, including vaccination, face masks in indoor public settings, social distancing, and handwashing, and
Whereas, on August 11, 2021 the Transylvania County Public Health Department weekly COVID-19 update indicated 125 additional cases in the past 7 days, a Positive Test Rate of 21%, a total of 2,718 cases, and a cluster of 5 cases in the summer program at Pisgah Forest Elementary School, and
Whereas, on August 15, 2021 the Superintendent of Transylvania County Schools issued an emergency mask mandate for the first day of school due to COVID-19 cases among students and teachers at several schools, and
Whereas, on August 16, 2021 at the regular Board of Education meeting, the Board was informed that football practices had been suspended at Brevard Middle School and, for the second week, Brevard High School, and Brevard High School’s first football game was cancelled due to COVID-19 cases, and
Whereas, the Transylvania County Board of Education voted twice, on August 2, 2021 and August 16, 2021, to have an official “masks optional” policy in Transylvania County Schools despite rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, and
Whereas, the CDC, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Transylvania County Public Health Department, and over twenty of our local physicians strongly advise that all students, staff, teachers, and visitors wear a mask indoors in K-12 schools, and
Whereas, this guidance is based on scientific data rather than politics, emotion, and misinformation,
Now therefore, be it resolved that:
Section 1: The Transylvania County Democratic Party formally supports the guidelines recommended by the CDC, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Transylvania County Public Health Department, and our local physicians for students, teachers, staff, and visitors to wear a face mask in all indoor spaces that are part of Transylvania County Schools.
Section 2: The Transylvania County Democratic Party formally petitions the Transylvania County Board of Education to reconsider the “masks optional” policy, in light of the danger to children, staff, and teachers. Schools are educational institutions that deal in facts, critical thinking, and reason rather than beliefs, politics, and emotions. The Board of Education is urged to model the use of reason to our students, their families, and the community.
Section 3: The Transylvania County Democratic Party strongly urges all teachers and staff to act as role models for students and wear masks in all indoor spaces in Transylvania County Schools.
This resolution is offered in the hope that the protective measures are temporary, and that they will be revoked when the Federal, State, and Local COVID-19 guidelines are no longer necessary to protect the health of our students, staff, and teachers.
