Clovis schools change course on mask requirements. Students will need a doctor’s note

After the California health department clarified that mask exemptions in K-12 schools could only be made by doctors — and not parents — Clovis Unified school officials announced Monday afternoon that it would follow protocol and not allow parents to exempt their children.

Clovis Unified trustees voted on July 29 to let parents exempt their students from wearing masks for medical or mental health reasons.

According to the health department, those who cannot wear a mask must wear an alternate face covering, such as a shield, if possible.

The announcement comes just two weeks after Clovis Unified’s school board departed from other school districts and decided to allow parents to medically exempt their children from mask-wearing without requiring a doctor’s vote or other medical verification.

At the time of the vote, CUSD spokesperson Kelly Avants said California required mask-wearing with some exemptions but left local districts to figure out how to enforce the mandate.

“CDPH is silent on whether or not additional documentation should be required,” Avants said told The Bee, “so it’s a choice for the board to make.”

But the board’s July 29 decision sparked criticism from local teachers unions, including the group working to form the first-ever teachers union in Clovis. The board also drew criticism from Todd Suntrapak, the CEO of Valley Children’s Healthcare. He criticized trustees in a letter dated Thursday that emerged publicly over the weekend.

The health department updated its guidance late Friday, and Clovis Unified spokesperson Kelly Avants said the district spent Monday reviewing the new rules.

About 4 to 5% of students had requested an exemption as of Friday, she said, which was the deadline parents had to fill out a form.

The district notified those families on Monday afternoon that there’s now a form their doctor would need to fill out and submit for the exemption to be valid.

Avants said the district has tried to make it clear to parents that it would follow all health department guidance, no matter how often it changes, which she acknowledged, has changed several times.

Parents who refuse to send their children to school because of the mask policy have other options, she said, and that can include a conversation with the district.

“Then they would have alternatives through our independent study program, or online school or some of the other programs that would allow them to not be in a school setting that would therefore require a mask.”

For parents who are scrambling now to get to a doctor to fill out the form, independent study is available until that can happen.

“It’s important for everyone to realize we are working our best and quickest to stay up to date with what the California Department of Public Health is requiring,” Avants said. “When there’s a confusion about that when there’s lack of clarity, then we’re immediately seeking clarification. Sometimes that takes a while, as you can imagine.”

Fresno County board resolution

Fresno County supervisors on Tuesday will consider whether to support local school districts having authority over COVID-19 issues such as masking requirements just weeks after the Clovis Unified School District passed a similar resolution.

The resolution, presented by Chairman Steve Brandau and Supervisor Buddy Mendes, aims to encourage state and federal government agencies who establish rules and protocols for safety conditions in schools “to grant or return control over the conduct of in-person classroom instruction to local school districts and their governing boards ...”

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors resolution says that some students have already been interacting, attending gatherings, playing sports, eating out, and doing other normal activities “with variable adherence to masking requirements and social distancing in higher-risk settings.

“... during the COVID-19 pandemic, students throughout the country have suffered substantial setbacks to their education and to their mental, social, and physical wellbeing as the result of remote learning, making the return to normal in-person instruction imperative,” the resolution continued.

Clovis Unified trustees on July 29 passed their own resolution, which urged the state to let school districts make their own decisions.

The CUSD resolution, in part, stated that the district has already “undertaken substantial efforts to lower the risk posed by COVID-19, including overhauling the HVAC systems at district sites, and ensuring effective cleaning and disinfection protocols are implemented.”

The resolution also said masks hamper the ability of students “to communicate and interpret the expressions of their peers, negatively impacting their socialization and mental health.”

If passed, the county resolution would be sent to the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, the California Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Fresno County Department of Public Health, the California Legislature, the state Congressional delegation, and the state health department.

This story was originally published August 9, 2021 at 4:38 PM.