From a national shortage of sweatpants to murder hornets making a brief debut, we’ve seen it all this past year and a half. From full distance learning, to hybrid, to in-person with masks, students here in Fargo Public Schools were no exception.

The summer of 2021 was promising, until it wasn’t. As vaccination rates rose, so did the hopes of the students. A normal school year, mask free, COVID-19 in the rear. And yet here we are, masked even as we read this. So how has this controversy touched our education?

A local South parent has stated that she supports masking because “other people wearing a mask keeps my child safe.” When asked if she thinks masking affects mental health she said “my daughter has mastered the art of facial expressions” and that the argument is a “cop out.”

When asked how she thinks the district has handled COVID, she stated “I think they did the best they could, while still trying to please the public.” However another local parent had something different to say. He says that social interaction is a factor, and that masks should be a choice. 

We’ve heard plenty of parent opinion on the matter, from local protests, to parents lobbying school board meetings, but what do students say?

One anonymous student said that “as much of a burden masking seems like, it is essential to the overall success of the community, and the world.” Another student says masks should be a choice. In a poll of the student body, 72.2% of students agree with the mandate, 13.9% disagreeing, and 13.9% having no opinion. With a constant divide of personal belief, how can the district manage to do what’s best, what with the community so passionate? 

Additionally, there has been talk of mandated vaccinations. About two-thirds of the students interviewed say they would be in support of school mandated vaccinations.

With President Biden’s recent plan to enforce vaccinations, or regular testing, for businesses with over one hundred patrons, we must ask how this will affect our school system. North Dakota governor Doug Burgum has already stated that he will be taking legal action against President Biden for this plan.

“We have reached out to the North Dakota Attorney General’s Office to discuss options for mounting a legal challenge to this mandate, which goes against everything I believe as a governor, a business owner and an American,” Burgum stated last month.

Fargo Public Schools Board Member, Jennifer Benson, has repeatedly brought up the issue of a mask mandate. She herself has been disciplined for breaking FPS rules and refusing to wear a mask at meetings. At a recent board meeting she motioned to immediately end the mandate several times. The board voted 6-3 to bring up the topic again at a September 28 meeting, at which they voted 5-2 to continue universal masking. The two that voted against continuation of the mandate were Jennifer Benson, and David Paulson. 

With the enforcement of masks, this school year is bound to be a controversial one. Between the question of mandated vaccinations on a national level, divided beliefs on masking, and a possible end to FPS’s mandate, the next few weeks will be critical in the question of how we affect COVID numbers as a district. Regardless of what you believe, it is important that you follow guidelines, discourage the spread of germs and encourage vaccinations.