OSHKOSH, Wis. (NBC 26) -- Nearly two weeks ago, the Oshkosh Area School District announced masks are mandatory inside all district buildings through Oct. 1, a ruling parents like Michael Lyon are fighting against.
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"We’re here to advocate for their option of choosing their kids to have a mask as much as we are for our kids to not have to be masked," Lyon, a parent of four OASD students, said.
At a special meeting on Monday night, the Oshkosh Board of Education stated its classrooms will continue requiring face coverings for students at the start of the semester this week.
"I’m gonna send my kids to school without masks," Lyon said. "From my personal experience, I’ve seen that it’s had a detrimental impact on my kids."
But school board president Bob Poeschl says that won’t cut it.
"If you come to school and you don’t wear a mask, you’re gonna be asked to wear a mask if you’re a student," he said.
The seven-day average of confirmed plus probable Covid cases has dropped to 24 in Winnebago Co., the lowest tally since July.
"This really isn’t, in my opinion, it’s not a mandate," Poeschl said. "It’s a protocol that’s a response to a pandemic that we are still living in and having to work within."
The decision for a temporary mask requirement was made by the district’s superintendent Bryan Davis.
"It’s not an easy task for an administration to be able to manage," Poeschl said. "Because we all want to be in school with the least amount of protocols."
Class for all students starts on Sept. 1. Though the current protocol requires masks for a month, some families will continue advocating for a rapid switch.
"This will change quicker than people might think," OASD parent Kristy Walsh said. "We’re gonna get our choice. We’re going to get freedom of choice."
A board meeting to discuss mask requirements on Aug. 25 in the Oshkosh Area School District was canceled after some attendees refused to wear face coverings last week.
A group of families took to the streets outside of the district offices to protest the requirement before Monday night's meeting.
