Mere hours before students returned to school for the 2021-2022 school year, St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia faced intense pushback from anti-mask mandate parents at Thursday’s parish school board meeting.
St. Tammany Parish schools require children age five years old and older to wear a mask in the classroom. At the meeting, Superintendent Jabbia was frustrated as he pleaded with the protesting parents to reconsider and follow the state mask mandate, which extends to children in the classroom saying, “At this point in time, this is a mandate from the Governor that we’ve got to follow. We have no choice but to follow. So, I’m begging parents, I’m pleading with parents, please give our teachers a chance.”
The idea of young children wearing masks all day did not sit well with parents. “If you are a parent afraid of your kid getting COVID, and you think masks really work, then you should be able to have your child wear a mask. But if you’re a parent who isn’t afraid, that should be your choice to have your kid go to school without one,” said one of the many parents who made their pleas to the school board.
Despite parents’ best efforts, the meeting ended with the state-wide mask mandate still enforced, regardless if individuals are vaccinated or not.
