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“It’s definitely a big deal for me,” she said. “So many people are dying and getting sick, and masks keep people safe. My brother isn’t old enough to get the vaccine. So he’s, like, vulnerable.”
“The Delta variant being even more contagious, and putting more people, younger people in the hospital … My brother is not vaccinated and if the masks are not necessary and he gets sick, what will- will happen to him? What will happen to all of them? children who cannot get vaccinated? ” she asked.
Perhaps Lila would have preferred to see “Hamilton” again to further memorize the lyrics and the staging that unites her twin loves for history and musical theater. But instead, she grabbed her notepad and pencil and wrote to the Duval County School Board and Superintendent to voice her concerns, starting with her brother.
“We are siblings, so we have our rivalries, but I don’t know what I would do if he died, especially if it was caused by a place that means so much to him, school,” he said. she writes, arguing for the use of masks in classrooms.
Only one school board member responded, she told CNN.
Her little brother thinks the letter was good. He too finds the mask problem frustrating.
“I try not to dwell on it, but it’s a great precaution for me. That’s why at school I wear two masks because I want to make sure I don’t get sick,” said Will.
Duval County Superintendent Diana Greene told reporters on Tuesday she was doing everything to stop the spread of Covid-19 in schools than she legally could, given the governor’s decree. It requires teachers to wear masks for the next 30 days, which the governor’s order does not prohibit.
“We have received a decree which will dictate what we can and cannot do,” she said. “But I’m still able to recommend highly. I’m still able to model the behavior I hope to see in employees and students.”
Greene said she was vaccinated and planned to wear a mask inside.
But she will not see this example followed by all.
Quisha King does not plan to send a mask to school with his two daughters. She is part of the local chapter of the national group Moms For Liberty and believes that demanding masks in school is government abuse.
“The best and fairest thing to do is to give parents the opportunity to decide whether they want their children to wear a mask or not,” she said. “It gives everyone the chance to do what they think is best for them.”
Matt Hartley, Lila and Will’s father, disputes this approach.
“I’m saying, frankly, you are wrong with the science on this,” he said. “But also, I care about your child as much as I care about my child and I don’t want a child to risk being hospitalized, or having long symptoms of Covid, or just being part of our community is spreading. ”
Jacksonville pediatrician Dr Bethany Atkins said that having all children wear a mask is the best protection for the entire school population.
“We now know that the masks prevent me from not only passing it on to you, but also from not giving it to me,” she said. “We know that people who are vaccinated have the possibility of transmitting the virus, even if they are not sick.”
On Tuesday evening, about 70 parents and community members, mostly masked, filled the Duval County Public School board meeting room as well as two overflow rooms for a scheduled board meeting. Dozens of people spoke directly to board members, expressing strong opinions on the school mask policy.
“We’ve all lived with masks in the past year, what’s 30 more days?” asked Rebecca Cardona of Teamsters Local 512. “Let’s keep everyone safe by making it mandatory to wear masks on school buses as well.”
Minutes after Cardona’s speech, Betty Bentley, a retired Duval County teacher, stepped onto the podium insisting that board members leave the decisions in disguise to parents.
“Children and parents deserve this right to decide whether or not to use a mask. Teachers also deserve this right,” Bentley said.
The school board ultimately voted that students not wearing masks will have to opt out through their parents or guardians.
King is not worried about his daughters contracting Covid-19, she said, as they are in good health.
If a child doesn’t have co-morbidities, Atkins said there was less chance of having an unfavorable outcome if they were infected. But she warns: “The luck is not zero.
Parents on both sides of the issue have expressed concerns about children’s mental health during the pandemic, underscoring their strong desire for a sense of normalcy.
King got emotional for CNN as she explained how one of her daughters was unable to fully participate in a vocal performance that required a lot of hard work and accomplishment.
“They missed out on a lot of different things that they were looking forward to doing,” she said. “They’re trying to make the best of it themselves. It’s tough, all around. It’s not easy.”
Lila Hartley, who intends to be Secretary of State among her ambitions, pushes back.
“It’s good to have your own opinions. You can think whatever you want to think,” she said. “But also, these masks have proven to save people.”
CNN’s Joe Sutton and Hayley Simonson contributed to this story.
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