Collier County parents petition against mask mandate in schools

Masks are still required many places people go to out in public, but some parents say one place they don’t belong is in school.

Some concerned parents want Collier County Public School Board to get rid of the mask mandate in the school district. They say the masks are infringing on the rights of their children.

A petition supported by parents in Collier County to make masks optional at CCPS school now has over 1,500 signatures Friday.

“Anyone of any age can spread COVID-19,” said Kristine Hollingsworth, a spokesperson for Florida Department of Health in Collier County.

If you are a student in Collier County schools, you still have to mask up for protection.

“I think it’s very hard for the younger kids to go by that, but the older kids understand,” parent Theresa Moriates said.

It’s a rule that Chelsea Allan feels makes school tougher on some students such as her daughter.

“Her name is Mary Grace. She has down syndrome. She is 9 years old,” Allan said. “She has low oxygen saturation to begin with as a baseline … She has difficulties enunciating her words. She is difficult to be understood already and then the mask makes it more difficult for her to understand others.”

While many parents feel masks at school protects others, some such as Allan believe students should have the freedom to choose.

Along with the petition, a group plans to protest at the next school board meeting.

“I believe that children should be allowed to see each other faces and to see their teacher’s face,” Allan said.

DOH-Collier says, even with teacher vaccinations, dropping masks is a dangerous call.

“It protects employees; it protects school children; it also slows the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Hollingsworth said.