Largest Coast district’s school board voted for optional masks. A former member disagrees.
A former Harrison County school board member feels the board made the wrong call on masks.
Bill Bradley, who did not run for re-election in 2020, commented on Thursday on the district’s Facebook post announcing the masks-optional policy.
“Last years plan worked great and even when things settled down we didn’t want to fix what wasn’t broken so we left the mask mandate in place,” he wrote. “Now it’s as bad as ever. Why would we not do everything possible to keep kids in school and schools open.”
The board voted on Wednesday to make masks recommended but not mandatory. Bradley’s replacement on the board, Eric Simmons, joined two other members, Rena Wiggins and David Ladner, to support that plan.
The decision makes Harrison County, the Coast’s largest school district and the state’s fourth-largest, one of three in the area where masks are not mandatory. The other two are Jackson County and Bay-Waveland.
At Wednesday’s meeting, parents on both sides of the issue gave emotional speeches during the public comment period.
“Stand strong for mask choice,” one mother pleaded with the board, tearing up and pausing her speech to compose herself. “Let our children breathe freely and see one another’s beautiful smiles.”
Jeff Collins, a father and registered nurse who works at local hospitals, urged the board to consider that making masks optional could increase the spread of COVID-19 to adults at home, who may be more vulnerable.
“I don’t feel like I have a right to tell these parents” they have to put masks on their children, board member David Ladner said before voting for Wiggins’ motion to recommend but not mandate masks.
A former board member speaks out
Bradley did not attend Wednesday night’s meeting. After the district announced its mask policy on Facebook, he decided to share his view.
In an interview with the Sun Herald, Bradley said he had spoken with two board members personally before writing his comment on Facebook. He had been motivated to do so because for the better part of this last six weeks, his father has been in the hospital. Conversations with doctors and nurses convinced him that the local health care system is under strain.
“We don’t have but one way to go from here with our success,” he wrote. “If it’s highly recommended by top health officials why would we not implement it as most other districts have. Leaving it up to the kids to decide, which is exactly what you’re doing when you say leave it up to the parents, makes zero sense.
“Saying it’s the parents right to choose in this instance is a cop out and sounds great politically. Let the people rule. And I’m all for that!!!
But the kids will do what ever they can get can away with when not under parents view.”
He began the comment by noting that he has “the utmost respect for each member of the board.” In the interview with the Sun Herald, he emphasized that he feels each board member voted conscientiously.
“I know 100% that they voted what they thought was the best interest of the students,” he said. “I will be so happy if I’m wrong. I hope I’m wrong.”
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 2:26 PM.
