School Board member Jenny Hill posts about masks in school
Hamilton County Schools will reopen for students Thursday, and many parents are sharing concerns with me about the health and safety of their children. In particular, hundreds of parents are writing and calling me to request that Hamilton County Schools implement a mask mandate.
Because I am receiving such a high volume of emails sharing these similar concerns, I am unable to answer all emails and calls individually in a timeline manner. That said, it’s important to share what I know about where the system is in the process of making decisions about the coming days. Hence, this message.
First, know that I am listening and I hear you.
Second, here’s the lay of the land in Tennessee (beyond the science of COVID and its prevalence in our county):
Regarding a mask mandate, the school system and the school board have the authority to manage the system. Tennessee state politics have been working to interrupt this authority. Further, if the board and/or system choose to implement a mask mandate, Governor Lee has stated that “nothing is off the table” at the state level regarding how the legislature will respond. State lawmakers have already threatened boards and school systems with cuts to funding.
In a recently passed punitive law related to school systems (unrelated to COVID), the first penalty is a $1 million fine. Subsequent fines go up to $5 million. This is real money that could have a significant negative impact on Hamilton County Schools. Further, our state lawmakers could choose to hastily pass a poorly planned voucher bill that could cause great harm to students for years to come, as was just passed in Florida.
As a board, it’s our fiduciary responsibility to examine all factors as we make decisions. If there were a way politically for the Hamilton County Health Department or County Mayor to step in and mandate masks, it mightprotect our system (and students) from discipline from the state. Consequently, there have been conversations between the system, physicians, and the county about the possibility of such a mandate.
That said, at the end of the day we as a school board are responsible for the oversight of the system and will take the necessary steps to protect our students and staff.
Here’s what’s happening (and where I stand):
System leadership is meeting with principals today. The COVID taskforce (on which I serve) meets tomorrow to discuss all the facts and I anticipate an announcement at that point. Alternatively, the board may choose to vote on the matter,
COVID changes quickly and HCS is working through the unfortunately murky bureaucracy that exists.
I have consistently advocated for a science-based response to COVID-19. As we are currently experiencing COVID numbers similar to those we saw in December 2020, requiring masks for all people in HCS buildings makes sense to me. Further, I support developing a transparent masking plan that tracks with community infection rates.
Humbly,
Jenny
