Submitted by: Kelly Westerberg

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Thank you for your continued to commitment to and support of ALL of our GPS employees.

Submitted by: Staci Sturgeon

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I am asking for the Gilbert School Board to review the recent study co-authored by Pima County showing that the odds of school-related COVID-19 outbreaks are 3.5 X more likely in schools without mask mandates than in schools which had mandates. The courts have already proven Gov Ducey's ban on mask mandates will not stand up in court and that will also be confirmed on 9/29. GPS currently has 2.79% of the total student body that has gotten COVID in just this school year. The average rise per day of cases is 4.17%. My son's school, where masks were required last year, had a total of I believe around 9 cases TOTAL all year last year. They have had, as of today 29 cases, included a letter from Maricopa County Health Dept saying they determined there was an outbreak at the school, which means IT IS SPREADING IN SCHOOLS!!!! I'm not sure why the school board is not doing what they can to protect our students?? Just take politics or whatever you think out of it and LOOK AT JUST THE NUMBERS!!!!!!! DATA!!!!!! SCIENCE!!!!! We cannot teach these kids any of this stuff and NOT LISTEN TO IT OURSELVES!!!!! Please keep my GPS student, his friends, their family, and our family safe by doing what is right per simple data/science and now a confirmed study...no one can no longer say "masks don't work" - we knew they did and now this study proves it - please keep our kids and our teachers SAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted by: Chris Vann

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you. I have two kids in the district via open enrollment and they are both getting a top notch education. We appreciate all the district does for the kids and families.

Submitted by: Tom Miller

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I find it very sad that when I get your email regarding a Board meeting, that I need to immediately check if masks mandates are on the agenda. It should never be this way. Please leave health choices to the parents.

Submitted by: Jeri Dow

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Though we await the judge's verdict on the mask mandate ban, I think it important that we consider the emerging data on the efficacy of masks in schools. Recent data from a study with the CDC and Pima county (among others) are indeed showing us what scientists have long been telling us: masks are a helpful mitigation strategy among others and ought to be implemented (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7039e1.htm). I also have heard very little of what the plan is for learners who must isolate after exposure with regard to their education when they are not able to be in class. As a parent of a child in district who cannot yet be vaccinated, I urge you to implement mask mandates regardless of the judge's ultimate ruling and seek the additional funds from the federal government as they offered if needed. I have already received multiple letters noting us of exposure, and my child is one of the few protecting those around her by wearing her mask. In times of public health crises, we should be doing all we can to protect those most vulnerable.

Submitted by: Mary Robbins

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: This is the third time I am writing into this school board. I’m honestly very angry with the way in which this district continues to respond to this pandemic. It has been made very clear to me how interested most of the adults running the schools and the district are in protecting the health of these children. It’s shameful. Everywhere I see signs saying “masks optional,” not masks encouraged. No one is encouraging anyone to wear a mask. My children’s teachers do not wear masks, the office staff are not wearing masks. Most of the members of this school board have never worn a mask to any of their meetings this year (I am grateful for the ones who do). Do we expect our unvaccinated children to wear them when the adults in their life won’t? The reality is people will not do the right thing if it’s inconvenient, unless they are made to, or there is community support and education for it. Gilbert Public schools has provided neither. There seems to be an emphasis on “you don’t have to wear a mask” instead of “you should, it will help us all.” You may say, “well, I’ve been vaccinated, I don’t need to wear a mask.” Well, I’m telling you I’ve been fully vaccinated also, and I still got a break through case of COVID. My son was part of the recent outbreak at Neely. It was miserable for me. I’m still recovering. Thankfully I was not put in the hospital, most likely due to the vaccine. My son seems to have recovered well, but not every child has that luxury. We now have to watch for the multi-system inflammatory syndrome that sometimes happens after infection. My niece died from this, and I can tell you it doesn’t matter to her mother that it was rare and was unlikely to happen to her. One of my children has autism, and just the stress of being quarantined at home caused daily meltdowns that I was dealing with, all while very, very sick. The stress of trying multiple times to get her tested for COVID loomed over us, when medical visits and procedures of any kind are her biggest trigger. We have to stop treating COVID like it’s not a big deal and it doesn’t affect people. You are my neighbors, my brothers and sisters. Please see that. Please do more to slow the spread of COVID-19. Please educate the staff and the students on mask wearing and hygiene. Please wear masks yourself, even if you’re vaccinated.

Submitted by: Christiann Thijm

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I appreciate that the signs in our schools now "Strongly encourage" mask wearing but it's hard to take that seriously when the leaders of those schools are not practicing what the district is preaching. Please encourage your staff and especially principals to wear masks. My children's school, VVL currently has 7 cases and the vast majority are still unmasked. My daughters 6th grade class will be going on an overnight camping trip and not a single word was mentioned about COVID mitigation in the paperwork that was sent home. I had to call the principal who then had to call the camp to get information. He emailed me the info but, as far as I know, has not shared it publicly with parents. This simply must be taken more seriously if we are ever going to get out of this mess.

Submitted by: Daniel Middleton

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Now that a Maricopa County judge has ruled the ban on mask mandates unconstitutional, and the CDC has released studies showing the positive effects of masking in schools, Gilbert Public Schools should make a change and start requiring masks in schools starting immediately or as soon as possible.

Submitted by: Laura Smith

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2021/09/27/arizona-judge-mask-mandate-ban-other-policy-bills-budget-unconstitutional/5836462001/ Please review this article that shows GPS can enact mask mandates. Our family has received 18 emails that our kids have been exposed to COVID-19 since the school year started, as well as notification of outbreaks in their schools. Please reconsider requiring masks in GPS schools to prevent further outbreaks and exposures. Everyone wore them last year, and although it is not pleasant to wear a mask all day, the kids adjust to them quickly and we did not see these exposure numbers when people were wearing masks in schools. Also, here is a study that was done in Maricopa County showing the effectiveness of mask-wearing in schools. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7039e1.htm?fbclid=IwAR1qS3mpeHasi7C8h2nXa0PC0q6PB6C0c4KJeKbn4KZFvjPpMbbDtGpdqro "...the odds of a school-associated COVID-19 outbreak in schools with no mask requirement were 3.7 times higher than those in schools with an early mask requirement." Please follow the science and protect our students!!

Submitted by: Brandon Smith

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: With the new ruling about mask mandates, I would like the board to reevaluate its stance on masks in school and leave that decision up to the school rather than the parent.

Submitted by: Gerald Bradley

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: The Court has ruled the state's ban on mask mandates in school is unconstitutional. There are no more excuses for school boards. The science is clear: masks reduce spread of COVID-19 in the community, and allow schools to remain open. A recent study showed schools with mask mandates were 3.5 times less likely to have a COVID outbreak than those without. It's time to choose public health over politics. Please mandate or lead by example with usage of masks. Please encourage mitigation measures in other areas like social distancing, physical education classes, etc.

Submitted by: Stephanie Johnson

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: I continue to be disappointed with the lack of stronger mitigation measures in Gilbert schools. Masks and testing are two measures proven to work. Strong mitigation measures keep children and the community they live in safe. My heart goes out to families with children who are medically vulnerable who are being denied safe in-person education.

Submitted by: Brooke Askew

Live or Work in the District: No

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: You are now free from Doug Ducey’s political manipulation and can mandate masks! The judge ruled his ban unconstitutional. We need you to mandate masks in order to keep schools safe and running smoothly. You are required to provide a safe learning environment for your students. During a pandemic this would include universal masking per the recommendation of the CDC, AZDHS, and virtually every other legitimate medical professional and scientists. This is one of the many safety protocols we need to follow. It has been shown that schools without mask mandates are 3.5 times more likely to have an outbreak compared to schools with mask mandates. It is time to follow the science and common sense really and mandate masks during this never ending pandemic. We need to stand up to the anti mask and anti science bullies and let them know that just because they are louder it doesn’t mean they get their way. Every time you give them a platform and let them win all you do is teach kids that this is how they get their way. That is such a bad example of community and caring for one another. While outside of school we all have a choice to wear a mask or not we cannot have this in schools. Another person’s choice to keep their kid unmasked puts all of us in danger and that it not ok. Especially in schools where kids cannot be vaccinated. Stop catering to the bullies. The rest of us deserve a safe environment when we know masks will prevent the spread of covid. The only safe choice is to mandate masks. You no longer have an excuse to skip a mask mandate. No excuses. If you choose to skip the masks knowing it is ok now and also knowing the masks work it will be abundantly clear you are the ones playing politics with the lives of your students/ our kids. Do the right thing. Mandate masks now.

Submitted by: Jaime Lawless

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Please start with masks! Just got the official notice of an outbreak at Greenfield Elementary. It is ridiculous that the board has yet to protect our children. We need mandatory masks. There is really no reason not to be wearing masks. They are safe and effective. Please mandate masks!

Submitted by: Ben Northcutt

Live or Work in the District: Yes

Child(ren) attending a GPS school: Yes

Comment: Gilbert Public Schools has been incredibly successful at mitigating covid without a mask mandate. I hope our district will continue the practice of not forcing masks on our students and staff. If we feel the need to enforce mask wearing then we might as well return students to completely being remote. Because you have no control of students after hours, forcing them to wear a mask during school hours would be a pointless practice. Please do not succumb to being politically motivated as other school districts have. The science has shown us so far this school year that we in Gilbert do not have a problem as we have yet to shut down a single school.