APPLETON (NBC 26) — Health officials in the Fox Valley are encouraging area school districts to reconsider masking requirements for the upcoming school year.
More than 100 healthcare providers from Outagamie and Winnebago Counties wrote an open letter to the Appleton, Neenah, and surrounding school districts asking education officials to reinstate the mask policy throughout the district.
The Appleton Area School District announced on July 26 it will recommend, but not require masks for all students and staff for the 2021-2022 school year. The following day, the Neenah Joint School Board voted to make masks optional throughout the district.
- Appleton Area School District makes masks optional for students and staff
- Neenah School Board: Masks optional for fall
“The concern at this point is people who are unvaccinated remain at particularly high risk of getting COVID, and a certain percentage of people who get COVID end up with severe illness as well," said Dr. Elizabeth Menzel, a family medicine physician in Appleton. "We are trying to prevent that from happening as much as we can. Wearing masks in school in accordance with the CDC guidelines and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the best science we have really is probably one of the most critical components of what they’re calling a "layered mitigation strategy" for schools.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all persons in schools, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks. The latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control recommends all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. The CDC also states children should return to full-time in-person learning this fall with prevention strategies in place.
Andrea Klitzke's son will be a first-grade student at the Appleton Area School District this school year. Klitzke said her son "does not do well" with masks, something they experienced when he returned to in-person learning on Jan. 19.
AASD made masking optional during summer school in 2021, which Klitzke's son participated in. Klitzke said people should have the choice whether to mask up in school come fall.
“Parents, as myself, understand the risk of sending our children to school, and we’re making that risk consciously and I trust our district," Klitzke said. "The long-term effects of it, and just not being able to connect with people, not being able to see a smile - some children are learning speech, and being able to differentiate different letter sounds and recognition is crucial. The psychological effect of feeling like you’re a bad person, or you’re breaking these rules if you’re not wearing a mask is just not healthy.”
Mary Pfeiffer, Neenah Joint School District superintendent, said she feels the current data doesn't support a mask requirement at this time.
The Winnebago County Health Department reported26 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. From July 14 to July 27, the county reported a total of 29 confirmed COVID cases within the Neenah Joint School District's area. Less than 10 of those cases included people ages 18 and younger.
Pfeiffer said it's also possible not all of the kids included in the case count for the district's geographical area attend one of its schools, as private and opt-in options aren't mentioned.
When students return to the classroom this fall, Pfeiffer said the district plans to evaluate data at the classroom, building and district level, while working closely with the Winnebago County Health Department to determine what's best for the safety of students and staff
"I feel that the letter was well intended. I feel that our health officials are really important in helping us to make decisions, and that’s why we work so closely with Winnebago County," Pfeiffer said. "If we need to pivot we will do so. That could mean going back to last year’s re-entry plan where we may have a virtual school for a period of time, not to mention masks for a period of time, if the data warrants it. If the data doesn’t, it just doesn’t make sense from my perspective to have students with no positivity, no incidents, having to take the precautions that we did last year.”
Pfeiffer said a southern firm will be providing in-house COVID-19 tests for students free of charge at the start of the school year.
In an email to NBC 26, the Appleton Area School District confirmed leadership received an open letter from healthcare providers Wednesday morning.
We appreciate the dedication that these providers have shown and continue to show to our students, staff, families, and wider community. Since the beginning of the pandemic our healthcare partners have supported our efforts to help keep everyone safe, and we value their input and ongoing collaboration with us.
Our recommended mitigation protocols [go.boarddocs.com] that were recently approved by the Board of Education on July 26, 2021, give flexibility to the District administration to respond as needed to changing conditions to protect the health and safety of our students and staff. The District Leadership Team will collaborate with local public health officials to review cases and data on a continuous basis.
Our recommended mitigation protocols are flexible enough for us to respond to changes that may require adjustments. If adjustments are needed, they will be targeted and responsive to the specific situation within our classrooms, schools, programs, or facilities. Any updated expectations will be communicated to staff and families as soon as possible.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported Wednesday just over 1,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases brought the 7-day average to 902 per day.
Hospitalizations are also on the rise. More than 350 hospitalizations related to the virus were reported statewide Wednesday. That's more than four times as many from one month ago.
