By Sam Wildow
TROY — Troy City Schools announced on Friday the district has had to quarantine over 300 students after eight days of school, with officials asking — but not yet mandating — parents to have their children wear face coverings in school.
“Every day here in Troy City Schools, we’re responsible for educating over 4,000 students and keeping them safe in our school buildings,” Troy Superintendent Chris Piper said in a video posted to social media on Friday. “These are responsibilities and privileges that we take very seriously, and we do this because we care about your children.”
“With all that in mind, we are coming to you today to ask for your help in keeping all of our students safe and in school,” Heywood Elementary School Principal Maurice Sadler said. “We have now reached a point where we’ve had to quarantine more 300 of our students after just eight days of school. We simply cannot continue this trend. We know that the best place for you children is in our schools, and we want them in their buildings because we love and care for them.”
Piper said the district is taking precautions daily, such as through social distancing, cleaning, and sanitizing.
“Those measures alone are not enough,” Piper said.
“We are here today to ask you — to implore you, to beg you — to ask your child to wear a mask to school,” Sadler said. “This is a simple thing your student can do to stay in our school buildings. In my opinion, it is a small price to pay to achieve our common goal of keeping children in school.”
Piper stated face masks are not being required yet, but it make become a requirement in the future if the quarantines for COVID-19 continue to increase.
“This is not a mask mandate, and we believe we can avoid the division that many communities have experienced around that issue,” Piper said. “We believe that Troy can do better. However, it is our duty to keep our students safe. And if the numbers keep trending in this direction, a mask mandate may be in our future.”
“This is not a threat, this is a plea,” Piper said.
He said they are not asking students to wear the masks constantly, clarifying they are asking parents to ask their children to wear face coverings on the bus and in groups where they are within six feet of other students for more than 15 minutes.
“If you need a break, take one,” Piper said.
“We have already had to make too many sacrifices this year as a result of illnesses and quarantines,” Sadler said. “Our football team, cheerleaders, band members, fans should all be on the road tonight to Xenia, but unfortunately they are not. That is 10 percent of their season they will not get back. Other events and activities now hang in the balance, and we don’t want to lose anymore than we already have, and you can help us avoid that.”
