To the Editor:

Why Stanley Boyd needs to keep their mask requirement

For the last couple of weeks, the School District of Colby has made it into our local paper, and not for great reasons. It appears that the school district took the step of calling the Clark County Health Dept. to have four football players taken off the COVID close contact list the nurse had placed them on so that they could play football.

Those of you that know me, know that I am not often in agreement with the school district or the city for that matter, but in this instance I stand firmly behind the precautions the district is taking to protect students. I wish they would have had them in place at the beginning of the school year, but they are there now.

I understand masks can be a pain. I get that you breathe a little easier without one. I know it is one more thing busy parents have to remember to send with their kids on school mornings. Particularly with the two new COVID strains out now that seem to effect more juveniles than in the past, masks in school are more important than ever.

Why am I concerned with what Colby does? Well, partially because it is the community that my mother grew up in, but more importantly, the steps taken to let the four football players participate effects the teams they play. Stanley-Boyd is one of those teams. You may or may not think the the amount of gear football players wear might go a long way to protect them, but what if these students had been wrestlers? Think about that for a bit. Might Colby have done the same thing?

At the last school board meeting, there were folks speaking on the mask issue. They certainly have a right to their opinion. I really have to ask this question though. Those that disagree with the mask policy, how would you keep all of the students safe, or at least as safe as they can be? In your home you have a much smaller number of people, classrooms cannot always make sure proper distancing is kept. Masks are helpful in reducing the spread of Covid.

By taking the precautions that they are, the school district is helping to protect the community. The Stanley-Boyd area has a large population of older people. In taking these steps the district is being a responsible part of the community. I applaud them for that. Kids wearing masks at school could very well mean some child’s grandma or grandpa doesn’t become ill.