Canfield local schools parents create petition after no mask mandate
Several Canfield Local Schools parents are coming together with a petition in hopes of getting a mask mandate for students and faculty.
They tell 21 News their children are the most medically vulnerable since they can't be vaccinated right now.
"We're not asking for anything insane. we just want to see them follow the guidelines," said Jared Czarnecki, a concerned parent. "Throwing them into the same room together with no means of protection with limited social distancing and take out the vaccine eligibility it's pure danger. It's a hugely dangerous scenario for me to put my kids in," he said.
Familiar feelings from when the pandemic first started are rushing back. Parents tell 21 News they're also concerned with the safety of other family members and do not wish to become one of the areas with massive COVID outbreaks.
"Every single health organization recommends masks in closed public envirinments and the school is very clised, we don't have any type of modern air circulation or ckeaning systems at all," said Lex Calder, another concerned parent. "The ultimate question is more about the risk to the parents and the grandparents more so than the children at the individual level. they become that vector to bring it in and that's what I'm more worried about," he said.
21 News asked the superintendent for his response to the recommendations from the state as well as the petition and he said he's going to continue to stick to the original plan for the school year.
"Our plans wil start tomorrow with what I said we would do, masks are optional," said Joe Knoll, superintendent of Canfield Local Schools. "I did make it pretty clear that as things change if and when they do change, that the board and I will re-evaluate our position and make decisions based on that information at that time," he said.
"The risk for me personally is if I'm given it, and don't get that sick, I could pass it on to my parents," said Calder. "My dad has stage four pancreatic cancer and he's in chemo, so we're going to have to wear masks around hi is what that probably means because we're going to not be able to have a bubble anymore," he said.
Parents tell 21 News that if the superintendent decides not to mandate masks, their next move will be to take it to the mayor.
