Parents are fed up, removing students from district after FPS imposed masks for next school year

FARGO, ND (Valley News Live) – Parents are fed up and are speaking out tonight against the Fargo Public School Board’s decision to require masks for all staff and students this fall, regardless of immunization status.

Some parents say their kids will defy the rules and not wear masks on the first day of school, while others say they are done with the district and are now considering homeschooling or open enrollment somewhere else.

“It’s a little frustrating to feel like the board and the people who make the decisions aren’t listening to parents or the community,” said Katie Stensgard.

The masking didn’t go well for the four Stensgard children last year, so when Tuesday night’s decision was made, Stensgard said it was a unanimous decision to walk away.

“We just say ‘No.’ We’re kind of done, ”she said.

And several other parents tell Valley News Live they’re doing the same. Many, like Stensgard, say they don’t feel heard or valued by the Fargo School Board or school leaders.

“I think we need to develop public policy on what’s going on now, not the worst-case scenario,” Stensgard said.

Stensgard says it’s not that she thinks masks are bad, but rather, she says like the decisions of West Fargo and Moorhead Public Schools, masking should be optional and a choice for every family.

“If you want to send your masked children, that’s great! I think you should have this right. But I also think parents should also have the right to say, “No, I did my own research,” she said.

As for the next step for her four children, Stensgard says she isn’t sure.

“Do we do home schooling? Do we go to private school? Which, there are so many great options, but financially is it something we can even afford? Or open registration? Which, now we’ve missed the deadline, ”Stensgard said.

When asked if his four children would be back in the district next year if the FPS abandoned its mask policy by then, Stensgard replied that it was too early to tell.

“Part of it is that we don’t want to jump back and forth, we want some stability for them. So wherever we ended up it would be nice if we could continue there, ”she said.

Stensgard says that while the next step in raising her children is a big decision, she knows she is not alone.

“It really woke up the parents that there were other options. Fargo Public Schools isn’t the only show in town, ”she said.

FPS was unable to provide an on-camera interview regarding this story today.

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