Sample letter for a request for a meeting with your School District

Consider contacting your local school board and requesting a one on one meeting to discuss the ongoing restrictive Covid19 policies that remain in place despite the lack of any evidence of a health emergency.   This sample document bullet points some important topics that would help serve a dialogue and may contribute to influencing a return to normalcy.

[Superintendent name and address]

Dear Superintendent and School Board:

I am a parent and resident in the School District, and I would like to discuss ways that the Health and Safety plan may be suitably amended to accelerate the District’s return of students to school under normal conditions, that is, with masks optional, with minimal or no testing, and with a phase out of other restrictions. Please let me know if you are available for a conference.

While I understand there are many variables that the School Board must factor into its Health and Safety Plan, I would like to discuss with the Board how the following factors may lead to a return to normal operations:

As you know, the American Rescue Plan, section 2001(i)(1), gives the School District wide latitude in developing its Safety and Health Plan, so long as it is directed to continuously and safely opening and operating schools for in-person learning. Beyond that, the Health & Safety Plan does not require particular measures, such as wearing of masks, testing, and other measures which depart from normal operations.

With the transformed landscape of COVID-19 vaccine and treatment availability, the need for masking has diminished.

With the Omicron variant data showing milder symptoms than Delta, no increase in hospitalizations, and with relatively fewer cases reported in school-age children, the health and safety of students, staff and community may be maintained without resort to masking and other measures which may impair our children’s learning or development.

The focus on case numbers being below particular, arbitrary levels does not factor in the the current endemic, milder nature of the Omicron variant, and interferes with resuming normal educational operations.

Accordingly, transitioning away from outdated mitigation metrics and approaches may be accomplished with due consideration of local, district, and county incidence, hospitalization rates, vaccination availability and rates, and most notably, non-existent or de minimis incidents of in-school transmission.

I look forward to further, constructive discussions on addressing my concerns, rather than adversarial hearings or proceedings.

Sincerely,