The COVID-19 pandemic has been politicized by both major parties from the start. This is evident each day as battle lines are drawn around all facets of the crisis. The latest partisan wrangling has to do with mask requirements in schools, which has become another exhausting Left versus Right issue.
Both Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have come down hard on school districts that want to require students to wear masks. Instead of leaving individual districts to decide, these executives have assumed ownership of the decision. This takes away local control and places it in the hands of those who seem more concerned with establishing national political reputations. And all under the semblance of conservatism and freedom.
There is nothing easy about beginning a new school year in the midst of a pandemic. Districts all across the country know that well. This time around, more than half of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated. The delta variant is spreading, but largely among the unvaccinated. Because of the unknowns associated with the variant and rising case and hospital numbers, some districts feel most comfortable with a mask requirement. They should be allowed to do so without interference from elected leaders. At the same time, some districts are most comfortable starting the year without a mask requirement. They should also be left to their own decisions. As adults debate specifics, students are caught in the partisan crossfire.
It is clear that the best type of instruction is in a classroom among teachers and peers. That is not the debate. Back to normal is best. Back at all is key. In some places, the latter is accomplished by requiring that students, teachers, and staff mask up. Republicans who support freedom at the local level when it comes to other matters should practice what they preach.
As the mother of a kindergartner, I was prepared to send my son to school with or without a mask. Only a few days before school began, the district updated its guidelines and added a mask requirement at all times except while eating and at recess. Though I live in a southern and very conservative state, this was a local decision in our small school district. The governor has mandated nothing as far as masks in schools are concerned. This hands-off approach is the correct one. There has been no uproar. Leaders in the school district expressed a desire to work through these challenging, unusual times. Parents, excited to send kids back to full-time instruction in the classroom, have complied. Students, happy to begin their educational journey or continue it, haven’t thrown a collective fit — as it should be.
Congregating during a pandemic of the unvaccinated is enough to cause some school districts to pause and reflect. Those requiring masks do so in an effort to keep communities as safe as possible, reduce the spread of this variant, and embark upon a more regular school year. These are worthy goals. Moreover, they should be decisions left to each school district, not politicians.
There has been a tendency to go to extremes during this pandemic. Unfortunately, too many in both political parties have adopted the outrageous in an effort to push back against their opponents. Forcing all school districts in entire states to actively reject masks is no conservative virtue. Because of vaccines, the end to the pandemic is closer than ever. For now, though, it remains. Governors may not prefer to err on the side of caution, but school districts should at least be given a choice.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
