Waterloo region public school board votes to encourage masking

Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) trustees voted in favour of a motion to request masking while inside buildings operated by the school board.

The motion, presented during the school board meeting on Monday, requested staff, students and visitors wear masks “whenever possible," and said the request to bring back masking comes as cases of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) increase in the community.

“This motion is an attempt to help us find some middle ground together and do as much as we can within our educational parameters to support the many families who want their children masked," said trustee Marie Snyder, who brought the motion forward at the Nov. 28 meeting.

Snyder described it as "just a request without any rewards or punishments attached."

Snyder said she is also asking for information to be placed on board websites to highlight the fact that COVID-19 is still spreading in the community.

“I don’t want educators to have to police mask-wearing, and sometimes just a request is enough to change behaviours to let kids feel like they have permission to protect themselves and others,” said Snyder.

The motion’s background from Snyder notes the recent statements from Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, who strongly recommends wearing masks when indoors.

Snyder also noted: “A board mask mandate is not supported by our local Medical Officer of Health, and could potentially create hostility and divisiveness in our schools.”

Final approval will be needed at the Dec.19 meeting by the board of trustees. If approved, the policy to request masks be worn will take effect immediately.

Scott Piatkowski noted the school board did not have the authority to exceed the provincial masking mandate which was lifted earlier this year.

“Unless the province or local public health imposes a mask mandate we cannot do that ourselves,” said Piatkowski. “This is as much as we can do, I think it is something we should do.”

OPPOSING VIEWS

Trustee Cindy Watson said when she looks at the motion, and the language, there is concern parents and students may feel pressured by staff to wear a mask.

“They will be bombarded to wear a mask,” said Watson. "I think what we're doing is overreaching. We are superseding ministry mandate, superseding directives. We don't need to do that."

Watson pointed out the discussion to wear a mask should come from discourse between students and families, not the school board.

Trustee Mike Ramsay said that he has heard from families that don’t want any part in masks, and currently there is nothing stopping those from masking now if they want to.

“It’s very clear that the province of Ontario, the ministry of education, has no appetite to be imposing anything that resembles a mask mandate on any school system across Ontario,” said Ramsay.

Ramsay said he worried the working in the motion could lead to a cause for concern when interpreted differently.