Minot school board members and administrators listened with a skeptical ear on Thursday to a group of citizens who asked them to remove a mask mandate for children and employees in the Minot public schools. The mask mandate has been in effect since classes resumed amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Travis Zablotney, a parent of a student in the school district, is skeptical that masks actually do prevent risk. He told the board that the risk of COVID-19 complications is rare for children. He noted that case numbers are low in the area and questioned how long the district plans to require face masks.

He said he has heard that some students at the high school have been wearing their masks down around their chins and adults have not been enforcing mask wearing requirements anyway, so there appears to be a high degree of fatigue around both mask compliance and mask enforcement. He also said that mask requirements also carry a risk of harming the healthy development of children who aren’t able to read facial expressions or play closely with other kids.

Amber Vibeto, who said she does not have a child attending the Minot public schools but is a concerned citizen, also urged the school board to remove the mask requirements for schools.

Board member Bonny Berryman, a retired teacher, said she had been a substitute teacher this week at Jim Hill Middle School and the kids she saw were wearing masks correctly covering their mouths and noses. She said the mask mandate has enabled classes to remain in session all year in the Minot Public Schools, unlike many other school districts in the state.

“I just feel it’s extremely important we wear our masks,” said Berryman.

Board member Mike Gessner, also a retired teacher, said the mask mandate also protects staff members. The district doesn’t have enough subs waiting in the wings to fill in if a regular teacher is required to go into quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 when they were not wearing a mask.

Current guidelines followed by the school district do not require a student or teacher to go into quarantine if masks were being worn by both the person exposed and the person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Gessner said he thinks the mask mandate must remain in effect through the end of this school year.

Mitch Lunde, activities director, said the mask policy means that Minot kids have been able to compete in sports and other school activities. As a parent he said he also appreciates that his child has been able to attend in-person classes.

A committee guiding the school district’s response to the pandemic recommends that camps, open gyms and activities held by outside groups will be able to be held this summer in Minot public school facilities. The district has been allowing outside groups to use the buildings this spring. That committee had recommended that the mask requirement remain in place at school buildings and school events.

The board did not take official action on the mask policy Thursday.