Letter to the Editor: Districts gambling with kids’ health

Districts gambling with kids’ health

As we approach the beginning of a new school year, many school districts in Montana are ignoring the recommendations of their local public health departments and local physicians regarding a mask mandate. I strongly believe that public schools should follow public health guidance. Montana schools are set to receive $127 million in funding to "reopen safely in the fall" and get students back on track. By choosing to ignore public health guidance, they are failing to provide a safe learning environment for kids, which is exactly what those funds are intended to be used for.

With many schools abandoning the online option, parents are left with a difficult choice: risk exposure to the delta variant or consider homeschooling with no support from the district. Parents who strongly oppose masks should be the ones making arrangements for private school or home school, not those of us who have been doing our part all along.

— Robin Pleninger, Ronan