Boyle County Schools announced Feb. 17, that due to a steady decline of Covod-19, they’ll be “returning to Green status on Feb. 22.” This means masks are optional for students and staff. Schools will remain in Green status until further notice. Then why wait until Feb. 22? Doesn’t the artificial date act as confirmation that this policy is more about control?

The Boyle County school administration and board members who support this policy don’t seem to understand that the policy should not be a decision of the administration, but one of parental choice. Isn’t this an issue of who owns the children and responsibility of their health? Such a policy seems to promote the belief that your child’s health is a responsibility of schools, and children are wards of the state, while parents are only guardians. However, the Bible says children are owned by God and are given in stewardship to the parents. Doesn’t the responsibility historically, legally, and biblically lie with parents and grandparents?

In September, the state legislature passed a bill that made masking of students an option of local school boards. However, Boyle County and Danville schools still chose to require masking of students against a virus that is less harmful for school-age children than the common flu. Is this following the science? Boyle County Schools even took the ridiculous step of requiring football tickets to be purchased online to avoid the exchange of money, where a few feet from the ticket gate fans could purchase and ingest all the concessions they wanted. Epitome of hypocrisy?

Now, a recent study by John Hopkins has shown that the health benefit of masking children was negligible compared to the risks and harm done to the emotional and mental wellbeing of children. But it is still taking an action by the legislature to have superintendents and school boards make masking optional and a parental decision.

Obviously, there are board members and school administration that don’t support the masking of children. And others, well intended, who have supported such policy in ignorance. However, isn’t supporting such a policy now arguably bordering on a bullying mentality against parental choice that borders on child abuse?

In some states students are staging walk outs against the masking policies. Hopefully, locally, parents and grandparents will stand up to the abuse before students feel compelled to do it on their own.

Randy Gip Graham
Danville