EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Parents in Madison County say it should be up to them to decide if their children wear masks to school.
“Be bold and support parent choice” were what some Madison County moms and dads were asking the Madison County School Board and the Madison County Health Department to consider at Wednesday night’s meeting.
“We’re here hoping that the Madison county board will approve a resolution so that all parents have the right to choose what mitigations seem used for our children,” parent Megan Cunningham said. “We’re not saying we should unmask children altogether.”
“Our point is that all people should have a choice. If you need to wear a mask wear one. We don’t judge you for that, but we would like to unmask our own children.”
Now, the decision will be up to each school district to decide if masks should be required as a resolution passed with a majority vote.
“I have total faith in our superintendents to make the correct decisions. I know things are going to change week to week when our numbers increase and decrease, and they are perfectly capable of making those decisions,” Madison County Board Member Valerie Doucliff said.
Doucliff is a teacher, mother and grandmother. She also voted yes in passing the resolution.
“I saw how our children were this past school year. Socially, emotionally, academically, they were sitting behind a wall, and it’s very sad,” she said.
Rick Cunningham was one of the many pleased with the outcome and looks forward to what the school districts decide.
“It gives each parent an individual choice regardless what their choice is I respect both decisions right, but what’s most important is that each parent gets an individual choice to make the decision,” he said.
