LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- More than 1,400 members of the Jefferson County Teachers Association oppose the COVID-19 masking policy at Kentucky's largest school district days before the start of the 2022-23 school year, according to early results of an ongoing union survey shared Thursday with WDRB News.
As of 11:30 a.m. Thursday, 57% of the nearly 2,500 respondents so far oppose or strongly oppose the district's masking policy, while 36% support or strongly support it, according to data provided by JCTA Vice President Tammy Berlin. The remaining 7% of respondents are neutral, and responses continue to be collected, she said.
"We have had a number of members who don't want masks contact us," Berlin said. "We have other members who do want masks. So we just wanted to get a handle on where people are with that."
Gutermuth Elementary teacher Sarah Blatz prepares her classroom for the start of the 2022-23 school year on Aug. 4, 2022.
JCTA began surveying members Tuesday on the masking policy at Jefferson County Public Schools, which starts classes for the 2022-23 school year Wednesday.
Masks have been required at JCPS for the past two weeks after Jefferson County hit the "red" in metrics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based on COVID-19 caseloads and hospitalizations. The district's mask policy stipulates that face coverings will be mandatory until Jefferson County exits the highest CDC COVID-19 metric.
Sarah Blatz, who is in her sixth year at Gutermuth Elementary School, is among JCPS teachers who wants district leaders to reconsider the masking policy. She "wasn't exactly thrilled" with the move back to masking, she said.
"I would prefer if we didn't have a mask just because it's easier to hear kids," said Blatz, who teaches second grade. "And, like I said, just something about greeting them with a smile makes such a difference. But I'm going to go along with whatever our leadership says and whatever we need to do. I just made sure we restocked on supplies and that I had plenty of hand sanitizer available and masks for students."
Berlin agreed with the district's masking policy in her response to the JCTA survey.
"Toward the end of the school year, it was nice to have seen some of the children take their masks off," she said. "But a lot of them chose not to, and that's fine. I wore mine too. It's good to see their faces. It does help us connect with them a little bit better. It's also been really nice to go this whole two years and not have COVID."
About 150 people held signs along Bishop Lane outside the VanHoose Education Center on Aug. 2, 2022 in protest against the indoor masking policy at Jefferson County Public Schools.
JCTA is gathering feedback on the district's masking policy as many share their frustrations with the return of mandatory indoor masking just before JCPS kicks off the 2022-23 school year. Superintendent Marty Pollio made face coverings optional toward the end of the 2021-22 school year in March as local COVID-19 caseloads and hospitalizations improved.
About 150 people opposed to the JCPS masking policy, protested outside the VanHoose Education Center before Tuesday's Jefferson County Board of Education meeting. A smaller counter-protest drew about a dozen supporters of the district's masking policy that evening.
Although the district's mask policy was not on Tuesday's agenda, board member Linda Duncan said she wanted to revisit the matter. The board unanimously approved the JCPS COVID-19 policy on July 19, but Duncan said she believed masking would be recommended, not required, at the highest CDC metric.
"I hope that we have an opportunity to have some more input on this issue — maybe from our teachers — so that we get a better idea of how people feel about trying to enforce a mandate," Duncan said at the meeting.
JCTA will use the survey results to guide the union's lobbying to the school board and, if needed, Kentucky General Assembly, Berlin said.
"If our members tell us that they want something different than what the board has chosen to do, then that would likely be something that we would lobby the board for," she said. "... I'm not sure if they actually have any leeway to do anything different than that or not, but we would lobby for whatever the majority of our members asked."
Gutermuth Elementary Principal Heather Scott showing the school's supplies of personal protective equipment ahead of the 2022-23 school year on Aug. 4, 2022.
Carolyn Callahan, chief of communications and community relations for JCPS, said the district always appreciates feedback provided by JCTA.
JCPS will know by Friday whether its mandatory masking policy will remain in effect for the first few days of the school year. That's when the state's COVID-19 community level map is updated, and masks will be optional if Jefferson County's coronavirus caseloads and hospitalizations drop it into the "yellow."
While the district's masking policy for the first week of the upcoming school year remains to be seen, school leaders and teachers are preparing to have plenty of masks ready just in case. JCPS Communications Manager Mark Hebert said the district has more than 1 million masks on hand as of Thursday.
"We would love to have a normal start to the school year, but fortunately we're prepared because this has gotten to be the new norm," Gutermuth Elementary Principal Heather Scott said.
Gutermuth Elementary has plenty of personal protective equipment in stock "to probably get us through the first couple months of school," she said.
"We have a full supply," Scott said. "We're ready."
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