Extensive discussion at the Geary USD 475 Board of Education meeting Monday evening on possibly making face masks optional in district facilities resulted in no action. The school district is scheduled to keep the face mask requirement in place until April during the pandemic.
Board member Dr. Anwar Khoury felt it was time for the Board to make a decision. "The psychological aspects of wearing masks and the loss of learning, it's taken a toll on our students. And I think it's time for us to say off to the masks."
Board member Mark Hatcher pushed hard to make the masks optional. "I would push back on the fact that it's just taken for granted that masks keep everybody in school." Hatcher added that there is conflicting evidence.
Hatcher also noted that he also understood the complexity of the issue, but also pointed out that communities at Fort Leavenworth and Fort Leonard Wood had an optional requirement and seemed to be "navigating it just fine." He also commented that USD 475 could do it to if they chose to do so.
Board member Dr. Beth Hudson felt back in November the district set a goal of April and observed that trends are moving in the desired direction. "So why will we not wait those few weeks and see that we get there. That's what we were asking for, is April and that's not that far away. It's two months right, eight weeks." Hudson added the mask topic keeps coming up but the numbers for the district are heading in the right direction. "So we can see a light at the end of the tunnel."
After the discussion there was no motion to make face masks optional at this time.