Less than a week after directing Turlock Unified School District staff to draft a letter asking permission to use local data when crafting mask requirements for students, the Board of Trustees on Monday declined to approve a motion to move forward with sending the request to the California Department of Public Health. 

The request to draft such a letter came during a heated regular board meeting last Tuesday, where parents against masks came out in force to demand Trustees follow the lead of Modesto City Schools. The nearby district’s board sent a letter to CDPH asking for local control when it came to masks, and TUSD Superintendent Dana Trevethan clarified that such a letter would ask for the ability to follow guidance from Stanislaus County public health officials based on local COVID data instead of the statewide, one-size-fits-all approach currently in place. 

TUSD’s draft letter, which was up for approval during last night’s special meeting, criticized the ever-changing guidance from the state, stating, “The Turlock Unified School District Board of Trustees sends this letter with the hope that you reconsider your approach in providing guidance to school districts during this pandemic, which is causing division in our community as a result of the confusion created by shifting legal obligations and failure to consider a local approach instead of State mandates.”

The letter went on to state the TUSD Board of Trustees' concerns with the state’s lack of consideration for local conditions and data in the surrounding community.

“As educators, we recognize the value of a mask-free learning environment and look forward to working with our local Public Health Officer to implement layers of mitigation strategies that best support student and staff physical/mental health and safety. Throughout the last 18 months, we have dutifully followed State and local county guidance with respect to the pandemic; however, we would be remiss if we did not take this opportunity to insist on the use of local, relevant data to inform health and safety measures to best support learning and teaching in TUSD,” the letter said, noting that despite these concerns the district understands its legal obligation to continue following CDPH guidelines.

A group of pro-mask parents organized by parent Melissa Geary, who has two children enrolled in TUSD schools, was present for Monday’s special meeting and five parents spoke out against the letter. Geary had originally anticipated attending the Aug. 17 regular board meeting, she said, where she thought the letter would be up for approval, but was informed by a friend that a special meeting would be taking place.

“We had several well-spoken, very statistically-accurate scientific speakers...It's not the most interesting thing, but [the Trustees] did seem to slowly come to understand how inappropriate [the letter] was and the mood definitely changed,” Geary said. 

Geary said the group was inspired by Turlock resident Sarah Beekman, who was the lone parent to speak in support of masks during the previous board meeting. Geary, Beekman and other parents in attendance during Monday’s special meeting are all members of the Facebook group “Pro-science Turlock Parents” and were able to organize their protest efforts online before gathering outside of the meeting with signs — and masks. 

Beekman spoke to the Board again on Monday, stating that while she too does not enjoy wearing a mask or making her three TUSD children wear masks, she does so to protect others.

“​​I was here last Tuesday for the presentation by legal counsel on the CDPH masking mandate. Counsel made it clear that to keep our schools open this fall, we must follow the mask mandate,” Beekman said. “I have spoken to many parents since and there is great concern that this board is being influenced by loud, reckless rhetoric of a minority of people.” 

After the public’s comments and some discussion, Trustee Jeffrey Cortinas motioned to approve the letter, but no other Trustees seconded the motion and the letter will not be sent. 

“I went home and I cried because I had two people who said they would come with me to the meeting and that was all the support I could garner," Geary said. "...And then more people came, and more cars came, and more cars came and they said, ‘We're with you in this fight and we want our kids to be safe.’”

Another Facebook group called “REOPEN ALL TURLOCK SCHOOLS” has organized against the mask requirements, and many members were present at the regular meeting last week. Renee Fantazia said she and other members had no idea the letter was being voted on during a special meeting on Monday until it was too late to attend.

“I don’t really care why they didn’t [approve the letter], but I care that they don’t seem to care. Even at the last meeting, it’s like their faces were vacant and nobody was really listening to what was said,” Fantazia said. “The bottom line is that they’re ruining our kids by being spineless and parents are rightfully upset.”

Fantazia said her children have suffered both mentally and physically because of COVID restrictions at school, from stay-at-home orders impacting their studies to lightheadedness and fainting because of masks. She said she and other parents plan on sending their children to school on Wednesday without masks and they were saddened to see Trustees — aside from Cortinas — shy away from the letter.

“If you can't do what the job entails, which is to truly love and teach and care about our kids — that goes from the Board all the way through the district all the way down to the teachers — get out,” Fantazia said. “We don't want you in there with our kids. We don't need you in there with our kids, and you're not safe for kids.”