The change to LCISD's mask policy that is worrying parents
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A family in the Rosenberg area, who has children in Lamar Consolidated ISD, said they carefully considered whether to have their children learn in-person when school starts later this month or learn online from home.
"We decided to send them back to class," said the father of three, who asked not be identified. "It was because the kids would be required to wear masks."
This week, he said the district updated its policy allowing plastic face shields rather than masks.
"I know what kids are like," he said. "In high school, they'll take them off, and in lower grades, they may slip off."
The CDC's recommendation says face shields should be used in conjunction with masks.
"[The] CDC doesn't recommend use of face shields for normal everyday coverings because of a lack of evidence of their effectiveness," read a statement on its website.
Face shields don't cover the entire face, so droplets can escape if the person wearing one coughs or sneezes.
Lamar CISD released a statement on Sunday stating the district policy mirrors that of the Texas Education Agency, which reads, "Full-face shields may be worn in place of a mask to protect eyes, nose and mouth whenever a mask isn't feasible, or when the lesson benefits from being able to see a full face."
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
"Over the summer, Texas Education Agency released guidance on face coverings stating the following:
Health and Hygiene Practices: Masks
For the purposes of this document, masks include non-medical grade disposable face masks, cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth), or full-face shields to protect eyes, nose, and mouth. Face shields may be superior to cloth face coverings in many circumstances, given improved ability to see mouth movements and improved air circulation.
This is the information we, along with school districts across the state, have been working off of when preparing for the 2020-2021 school year.
This week, TEA updated their face covering guidance, and the District has adjusted appropriately to follow state guidance:
Acceptable face coverings in Lamar CISD include non-medical and medical grade disposable face masks, cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth), and neck gaiters that cover the nose, mouth and neck.
Per the latest Texas Education Agency update, full-face shields may be worn in place of a mask to protect eyes, nose and mouth whenever a mask is not feasible, or whenever the education context may benefit from the ability to see an individual's full face.
Recommended face shields wrap around the sides of the wearer's face and extend to below the chin."
It's a contradiction that bothers the LCISD father. He told Eyewitness News he changed his decision to have his children learn in-person. Instead, they'll be taking classes virtually from home.
"I don't know that a lot of parents saw the district's revised policy," he said. "But I hope that [they'll] be sure of how they want their children to learn."
The district has posted its entire "Disease Mitigation Policy," including the updated mask policy, online.
You can explore it entirely by visiting the LCISD website.
The deadline for Lamar ISD to sign up for in-class or online is Sunday night at midnight.
