Updated Carlmont High School prom mask policy causes concern

In an emailed statement, Sequoia Union High School District officials said masking was becoming optional after the venue, San Francisco’s Academy of Sciences, changed its policy to no longer require masks to be worn.

“Once we were informed, we relayed the message to our students. Following state and county guidelines, we strongly recommend wearing facemasks. We thank you for your understanding as we navigate the appropriate safety measures for our students,” read the district’s email statement to the Daily Journal which largely resembled the one sent out to students.

Like most of the districts in the county, students have been given the option of whether to mask since mid-March after the state changed its masking guidelines to allow school districts to shift from mandating masks to strongly recommending them.

Before then, Sequoia Union High School District was the hardest hit during a winter surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the more infectious but less lethal omicron variant. Nearly 2,000 students contracted the virus at the start of the new year but cases have decreased substantially in recent weeks, following a countywide trend.

While COVID-19 cases have greatly decreased since peaking in early January and the county’s vaccination rate is among the highest in the state at about 95%, County Health’s website indicates infections are slowly ticking up again.

Community concerns

And some school members have raised concerns about the last-minute change, noting that students have already made arrangements to attend, purchasing tickets ranging from $85 and $100 in addition to making other event plans, with the understanding that masks would be required.

Patricia Braunstein, a Carlmont High School teacher and parent to a Carlmont student, said she understands that there are strong and differing views on masking but argues that requiring masks was reassuring for at-risk families who deserved an early notice if such a change was going to be made. Braunstein also argued that parents and faculty should have been directly informed rather than alerts only being sent to students.

Given that some made arrangements to go based on expected levels of protection, and that the policy is flexible, Braunstein said officials should reverse their decision to ensure everyone can safely attend.

“I had been very proud of our school for upholding a ‘mask mandatory’ policy — it made me feel like our district and school truly embraced strong health and safety protocols,” Braunstein said. “The change to “masks optional” just days before, when students have already bought or rented suits and tuxedos and set their plans, leaves those who are uncomfortable with the new policy no time to make changes — it is simply unfair to sell one set of expectations and then to make a switch last minute. It’s a ‘bait and switch.’”

Students will be expected to either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend and refunds are available before the dance, according to the school website. Recognizing people have become mask-fatigued, health officials have also stressed the importance of indoor events having strong ventilation in place to prevent the virus from accumulating in one area.

SMUHSD masking

Unlike SUHSD, San Mateo Union High School District officials opted to continue requiring masks on their campuses until they could assess infection rates two weeks after spring break.

That policy was ignored, however, during San Mateo High School’s prom held at the Asian Art Museum Saturday, April 9, when about 90 students contracted the virus. The roughly 600 students who attended were not required to mask at that event but a similar number of Aragon High School students were required to mask at their prom held the same evening in San Francisco.

Health Services Manager Sara Devaney said no cases have been reportedly linked back to Aragon’s prom and during a Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, April 21, Superintendent Kevin Skelly credited the school’s rigorous testing protocol in advance of the event as for why an outbreak may have been avoided. He also assured the board that students who were infected are recovering well.

“The kids will be fine. They, by and large, are not nearly as worked up about this issue as we might think they are or based on the email we get both pro and con,” Skelly said. “This issue has taken on a lot of fervor but I think we are operating as a school distinct.”

The ramped-up testing protocol was in place for Hillsdale High School’s prom this past weekend and those students were also expected to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test at least 48 hours before the event. Similar efforts will be in place for the three additional proms being held by Mills, Capuchino and Burlingame high schools.

Concerned about the previous outbreak and heeding guidance from the California Department of Public Health, the district’s Board of Trustees agreed to continue the district’s mask mandate until May 5 when the board will decide whether to reduce masking expectations given no other outbreaks occur.

“We did make masks strongly recommended for this last prom and that showed that people didn’t wear them,” Trustee Ligia Andrade Zúñiga said in defense of the board’s decision after sharing concerns for students who are immunocompromised or who have immunocompromised relatives. “That means someone in our community cannot participate. It’s not accessible and it sends a message that it doesn’t matter.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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