The Mars Area School Board heard comments from parents and community members on the district's health and safety policy and proposed additions to its mission statement at a meeting on Tuesday night.

The updated Health and Safety Plan was approved at a meeting on July 20. It does not require or mandate mask wearing for vaccinated or unvaccinated children or staff.

Earlier this week, administrators sent a survey to parents, guardians, staff and students regarding masking and COVID-19 measures at Mars Area School District. Superintendent Dr. Mark Gross encouraged parents to respond to the survey, which he said will be open until Thursday at noon.

“I think it's very safe to say this isn't a Mars issue, the mask vs. no mask; this is raging across the country,” Gross said. “If you have issues about the masking and the health and safety plan, if anyone wants to comment about what this district needs to do, I encourage you to go onto that survey.”

Parents, community members and students spoke at the meeting both in support of and against masking.

Mei Lien Mansfield, a seventh-grade student in the Mars Area School District, said that she and her friends are concerned about returning to school if there is not a mask mandate and social-distancing policy.

“I am not sure why we are getting rid of them now, when there is a highly contagious variant we need to protect ourselves from,” she said. “I personally am going to wear a mask, but I am afraid there is going to be peer pressure if some of the students are not wearing them. I think it is important to protect yourself and your whole community.”

“I heard your comments that the mask issue is divisive,” Kate Musler, a Gibsonia resident, said. “Just think about the population of students who don't have the option to get vaccinated. I have a child who is old enough to be vaccinated and is, and a child who is not old enough to be vaccinated and asks me daily when she will be eligible.”

School board member Megan Lenz, who also works as a paramedic, assured parents that the board was listening to and hearing their concerns.

“I want the public to understand we are hearing you. We are having conversations. This document is not set in stone. I have spent days upon days reading up on this, to a negative effect on my children at home, because this isn't a decision I ever anticipated making for anyone else,” she said. “What I'm asking from the community is a little bit of understanding on our end. I'm listening, I'm hearing what you're saying. This isn't simple, and this isn't easy.”

Patriotism policy

The board plans to vote on the addition of a new section to the district's mission statement next week that would promote “Informed, Engaged and Patriotic Citizens,” expediting the 30-day public comment and review process by a few days.

The addition would ban the teaching of “Holocaust Denial Theory, 9/11 Theory, The 1619 Project, (and) Critical Race Theory,” as well as the presentation of “concepts which impute fault, blame, a tendency to oppress others or the need to feel guilt or anguish to persons solely because of their race, sex or religion.”

Critical Race Theory is a typically college- and graduate-level theory that explores societal and legal issues and structures to examine how they relate to race.

Comments made

A number of Mars parents made comments at the meeting about the addition of the new patriotism section.

“When we have so many problems to address inside the Mars school district, why are we addressing a problem that doesn't exist?” said Jennifer McAfee, a Mars resident. She emphasized in her comment that critical race theory is typically taught at a college and graduate-school level, and that reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and playing the National Anthem are already part of existing policies.

“My child's education is not for sale in a ballot-box initiative,” McAfee said. “There is only one reason why this is being addressed now, and that is for the ballot box in November. Start addressing what you are here and elected to do: improve education for all students.”

Lucas Liben, who identified himself as Jewish, said that he feels the grouping of the theory with Holocaust denial is a rhetorical device.

“If we list (Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project) in line with things that are universally reprehensible, like 9/11 trutherism and Holocaust denial, it makes it harder for folks to stand up and say I have a problem with you not allowing this to be taught,” Liben said.