BALTIMORE — Tuesday, Baltimore County parents are coming together for an "Unmask Our Kids" rally. Baltimore County is one of many school districts in our area to state all students and staff must wear a mask while they're on a bus or in any school building.
Some parents feel they should have a choice in the matter, while others understand the precautions being taken.
“We just don't want to be forced to do anything that we don't want to do. You know, we should be free to make our own decision, especially when it comes to our health and our bodies," said Melissa Mumaw, a Baltimore County Parent.
Tori Sproat, another Baltimore County parent, said, "I pride myself in being a scientific communicator. So for me, I look at this through a scientific lens. Right now, our experts are saying this is the safest things to do for our kids.”
The rally is being held Tuesday afternoon by the Baltimore County Parent and Student Coalition. The President of BCPASC, Amy Adams, said they're having this rally because they haven't been told why the policy is being mandated and what data BCPS has used to make the decision.
She said, "this is an opportunity for the public to come to a Board of Education meeting prior to the start of the school year. We are rallying because we want the Board of Education to know that parents have concerns and questions regarding the COVID safety mitigation plans and the upcoming school year."
They're meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the BCPS Greenwood Campus, Building E, 6901 Charles Street in Towson. They plan on rallying before and during the Baltimore County School Board meeting.
Some parents believe masks should only be worn by those who are unvaccinated, but an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist from Johns Hopkins, David Dowdy, said that's not realistic to implement.
"As much as adults take our cues, kids do that more so it’s gonna be challenging to implement a mandate where you say vaccinated you don’t have to but kids are gonna look around and see others not wearing their masks and they're gonna take there’s off too. Vaccinated or not," said Dowdy.
Dowdy stressed that as long as cases are continuing to rise, it's important to do things to stop the spread, like wearing a mask. He added that doesn't mean students have to wear them all year round.
Another concern expected to be addressed at the School Board meeting is virtual learning. The deadline for parents to decide if their child is going to return to the classroom or continue to learn virtually in Baltimore County has already passed.
However, some parents want the option to keep their kids home with the Delta Variant being such an issue.
WMAR-2 News' Eddie Kadhim is covering the school board meeting and the rally.
