20 community organizations implore Eastern Iowa school districts to mask up

Letters signed by 20 community organizations were sent Tuesday to eight Eastern Iowa school boards and superintendents, imploring them to require masks in schools to slow the spread of COVID-19 although state law forbids such mandates.

“We are at a pivotal moment, living in an area of high transmission of the delta variant of COVID-19, as one of eight states with a ban on school mask mandates,” the letter stated. “This public health crisis can get better or it can get a lot worse.

“Schools have been unable to create six feet of distance between unvaccinated children … ,” it continued. “As educators and community organizations working to create a better life for those we live here, we demand that the school board mandate masks at all school facilities and events.”

The mask mandate should remain in effect until all elementary-age children are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and community spread of the virus is low, the letter stated. An “unmasked” environment is dangerous for everyone in the community, it said.

“We know universal masking reduces COVID-19 transmission and saves lives,” the letter stated. “Making masks optional does not provide the protection that universal masking does.”

The letter was sent to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Linn-Mar, Marion Independent, Mount Vernon, Center Point-Urbana, Solon and North Linn school districts.

The letter was signed by the following organizations: Corridor Community Action Network, Iowa Citizen Action Network, Beloved Community Initiative, Iowa City Mutual Aid, Golfview Residents Association, Claiming Disability Inc., Bridge Under The Bridge, Center For Worker Justice, Iowa Poor People’s Campaign, Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Iowa City Autism Community, Neighborhood NESTS, Dream City Iowa, League of Women Voters of Iowa, Iowa Action, One Iowa, Iowa Citizens For Community Improvement, Veterans For Peace Iowa, Antelope Lending Library, and the Cedar Rapids Democratic Socialists of America.

The federal Education Department on Monday opened a civil rights investigation into Iowa’s mask mandate ban, saying it could discriminate against students with disabilities or health conditions.

Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah are other states the Office of Civil Rights is investigating.

The Iowa measure prevents school districts, cities and counties from requiring face coverings to be worn to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ban was passed in May by Republicans in the Iowa Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds.

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