A protest is expected Friday morning at 9:00am at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene, where students are expected to walk out of their classrooms to protest the fact that LCHS has not lifted mask requirements for students.
The Coeur d’Alene School District has responded to this expect protest, saying that their school board made a decision on April 5th to leave mask requirements in place for two weeks, also saying in part “We recognize that no student leaves their First Amendment rights at the front door when they enter their school.”
The school district also says unless they make a decision to alter their mask policy, they expect students and staff to adhere to it. They also say that if students refuses, they will “work with them to help them try to understand the rules and expectations and why they currently are in place.”
Their statement can be read in full below:
Parents and Guardians,
As you may have seen or heard through various social media platforms, some of our students may be considering a protest at some of our schools. It would appear that this protest is in response to the ongoing masking conversation in our schools. School Board Policy 1207 clearly articulates that all students and staff shall be required to wear a mask while on school grounds.
On Monday, April 5th, our School Board discussed the possibility of changing language in this policy from “masks required” to “masks strongly recommended,” or continuing to leave the language as is. At that meeting, our School Board chose to wait for two weeks, review COVID-19 case data that comes in after spring break, and take up the issue again at a Board workshop on April 19th.
We fully understand that this issue is polarized in our community. We recognize that no student leaves their First Amendment rights at the front door when they enter their school. We also recognize there may be student interest in peacefully demonstrating against the mask requirement. We also want everyone to understand that our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of others in our buildings and sustain the learning environment. Additionally, Policy 1207 is currently the governing guidance and is an expectation for students and staff in the school district.
Unless and until our School Board changes this policy, we respectfully ask all students and staff to adhere to the expectations of this policy. If students do not choose to adhere to the policy, we will work with them to help them try to understand the rules and expectations and why they currently are in place. Additionally, we will remind them that our Board will consider a change of status in this policy on April 19th. If students choose to violate this policy, or any other policy of the school district, they could be subject to our discipline policy.
We are grateful for your understanding, your patience and your collaboration as we navigate this pandemic together.
