Significant Change in Student Masking Enforcement
[Serena Fuson]
El Dorado Union High School District,
With the lifting of the statewide indoor mandate, and the improving conditions within El Dorado County, the El Dorado Union High School District is implementing a significant change in its face-covering enforcement protocols.
We are caught in the middle of a very difficult and progressively escalating situation where we acknowledge our obligation to comply with State and California Department of Public Health mandates and our actual ability to enforce those mandates.
Therefore we are changing our masking enforcement protocols. The enforcement of masking will be done by educating students and asking them to mask but no further actions of exclusion from class will be taken.
We will continue to do our best to comply with the law. Our school liability carriers all warn us that if we take explicit action to defy State guidance we will be held liable and accountable for any such decisions and in a very litigious society we have no legal protection. Our liability carriers will not be held accountable for our willful defiance of the California Department of Public Health.
We are very aware of the action that Roseville Joint Union High School District took to make masking optional. We have confirmed that their liability carrier will not cover them from any claims or damages since they took action in defiance of the California Department of Public Health and they have significant legal exposure that can jeopardize their district.
Moving forward students will not be physically removed from the classroom or receive a discipline consequence to prevent further exclusionary learning loss. CDPH guidance does not require exclusion, but legal precedent determined exclusion is lawful.
We ask for your continued support as we seek to do our best in this time when we are not granted any local control and Sacramento holds all of the decision making authority. As a school district the Board of Trustees does not have the legal decision making authority to change, overturn, or ignore State requirements. We know that masking guidance will definitely change in the weeks to come but our enforcement will change immediately.
The District will work diligently to call for measurable indicators that ensure there is a clear path to ending the mask mandate in schools as it is for adults in our county.
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They also got a lot of money to comply. Where are the medical claims filed for the effects caused by the force of the medical device imposed on children? The schools received plenty of money to pay back the families for these medical claims?
If everyone just stopped complying to California tyranny this would be over!
Face-covering is a mask it was made for slaves! Wake up!
— UPDATE —
To All Buckeye Union,
With each passing day, District and community frustration with the State’s mask mandate has grown. The prevalence of COVID-19 has decreased dramatically and the community widely supports student choice and making masks optional. It is time to adjust the District’s protocols associated with the mask mandate. Consistent with the State mandate, employees will continue to wear a mask when in the presence of students indoors. Classes will be encouraged to wear a mask at the beginning of each school day/class. Students not wearing a mask will not be removed from any school facility or event. If families wish to explore the District’s Independent Study Program, please contact Rachelle Ball at rball@buckeyeusd.org for information.
As we move forward, the District will maintain enhanced air circulation and filtration in the classrooms. We will also continue to provide information regarding the presence of COVID-19 in classrooms through group close contact notifications and the District’s COVID-19 dashboard. Additionally, the District will continue to make available optional COVID-19 testing at each site.
Schools will foster an environment in which mask choice is respected.
We will continue to update the community as new guidance is provided from CDPH. In making this adjustment it is our intent to ensure our educators, students, and families can be most focused on the education of our children.
Buckeye Union School District