Clovis parents protest COVID-19 mask requirements in schools, demand local control

This story has been updated. You can find the latest here.

Original story below

Dozens of parents assembled outside the Clovis Unified school board meeting Wednesday night, protesting face-mask requirements in schools.

Many parents said mask-wearing shouldn’t be required, and local schools should determine their own policies.

“I think that masks should be a choice for the students in Clovis Unified and Fresno Unified. My children go to Fresno Unified, but I believe as parents we should stand together,” said Sarah Mejias.

The protest comes just days after Fresno County health and school officials announced the mask-wearing mandate for schools in the fall regardless of vaccination status. The masking requirement was announced as new coronavirus cases mounted in the central San Joaquin Valley and in much of the rest of the country. More than 100 people were hospitalized on Wednesday due to COVID-19 across the Valley, a two-month high.

Board members stopped short of saying whether they supported school mask requirements, describing it as an issue of local control.

“I’m not making a statement one way or another, but we need local control,” CUSD Board President Steven Fogg said.

Board Member David DeFrank drafted a resolution expressing a desire for “local control” on several issues, citing mask choice as an example. The board will discuss the resolution at a future meeting.

This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 10:14 PM.