KIMBERLY (NBC 26) — Frustration is growing among some parents about schools holding on to mask requirements despite the CDC relaxing rules across the country.
Kimberly Area School District is one of many Wisconsin districts with an indoor mask policy.
NBC 26 spoke with several parents, students, and the district superintendent about the current policy and the future of masking at Kimberly schools.
"I got lightheaded during gym. I don’t really want to wear a mask anymore so I don't have to feel like that again," says Lexi Henrickson, a second-grader at Janssen Elementary School in Combined Locks.
"I kind of want it to go away because that will make us be able to see more faces and smiles," says Lexi's older sister, Arieana Henrickson, a fifth-grader at Mapleview Intermediate School in Kimberly.
For most children, it's been a long year.
"There have been a couple of times when I needed some emotional support and I got yelled at for hugging my friends because I needed because we are supposed to be social-distancing," says Abby Hohlbeck a sophomore at Kimberly High School.
After nearly a full year with strict mask policies, some parents NBC 26 spoke with say it's time for a change.
"I think now we need to have a talk about possibly making masks optional," says Matt Tennessen, who has a 7-year-old daughter in the KASD.
"Everybody should have the choice for their children for themselves for their families and how they feel it's necessary to protect them. That's all we want. We want the choice," says Katie Hintz, who has several children within the Kimberly Area School District system.
Hintz has remained outspoken on removing the mask mandate inside the schools. She's a member of the private Facebook group, "We The Parents of WI," which has nearly 4,000 local members. The group is dedicated to parents across Wisconsin pushing back on school districts to make masks option.
Last week, Outagamie County eased face mask requirements after the Center for Disease Control issued its new recommendations for those who are fully vaccinated.
"As we know the numbers are coming down, so this is a time we are going to look and listen and potentially make an adjustment," says Kimberly Area School District Superintendent Robert Mayfield.
The district's school board is holding a meeting next week to review the current mask policy and serve as a listening session for parents, says Mayfield, who adds it's a chance to let parents voice their concerns about their kids.
"From the very beginning the board has been listening to the community, so everything that we have been doing is we listen to the community, they give us feedback and we make adjustments and this is just one more example of it," Mayfield says.
Mayfield adds the KASD school board is considering several factors as they review the current policy.
"People are sick of COVID. I think everybody, I think there is a bit of a drain and so we want to make sure we are listening to people and understand where we are at and we are going to make decisions from there," he says.
With only a handful of days left in the school year, some parents say even a few days without masks could make a big difference.
"It is supposed to be a safe place. It's supposed to be fun and exciting especially for those little ones and there are so many kids that just dread going. They dread putting on that mask. They dread all of the things that come along with it. If we were to end those masks immediately they would be able to end their year on a high note and look forward to coming back next year," Hintz says.
The KASD school board will host the parent listening session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 24 at Woodland School. The meeting is open to the public.
Mayfield says the school board will not make any decisions at Monday's meeting. After the meeting, the board will decide whether or not they will change the current mask policy for KASD.
