ELECTION: Should San Angelo ISD students wear masks? School board candidates give opinion
John Tufts
SAN ANGELO — The Standard-Times sent a questionnaire to all candidates running for trustee positions on the San Angelo ISD School Board. Three district races will be decided during the election May 1, 2021.
Candidates were asked to keep their responses brief and limited to 3-4 sentences. Some responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Responses not appearing below include those from Collyn Neal Glaspie, Lupita Arroyo and Chris Giroux.
Glaspie suspended his campaign for Single Member District 3 due to personal reasons in late March. School Board trustees voted March 29 to cancel the election for Single Member District 2 after Arroyo ran unopposed and was therefore declared 'elected to office.' Giroux informed the Standard-Times on March 31 he would not participate in the annual election guide for San Angelo voters.
More:San Angelo School Board Election: Arroyo 'elected to office'; another candidate drops out
Candidates were asked a total of eight questions. Below is their response regarding SAISD's mask policy. Answers are listed alphabetically by last name and by order of district.
More:We asked eight questions to San Angelo ISD school board candidates. Here's what they said:
What is your opinion on enforcing students attending SAISD to wear masks? Should they wear masks? Why or why not?
District 1 candidate(s)
Bill Dendle: "The CDC rules state that if a student or teacher tests positive and the class is not wearing masks, then the whole class must quarantine. If masks are being worn, then only the individual who tests positive must quarantine. Imagine a group of students participating in a state event and an individual in that group tests positive. If the team is wearing masks, at least the team would have a chance of competing and advancing in the event. For that reason, I support the mask mandate."
District 3 candidate(s)
Debbie Cross: "I do not agree with forcing our children and faculty to wear masks. Let our kids be kids, (and) see each other's faces. I believe in choice. Masks should be optional. Wall, Water Valley, and Paint Rock (ISDs) are mask-optional campuses. SAISD, in my opinion, should follow suit."
Taylor Kingman: "Yes, I believe we should continue to wear masks for the time being. As all of our staff, parents, and constituents are given the opportunity to be vaccinated, it would be my intention for us to return to school next fall without masks. From my interaction with parents, generally speaking, they are happier with children wearing masks and not running the risk of quarantining their child due to an exposure. Not only does a kid being out of school rob that child of educational time, it also can be an economic hardship on the family if a parent has to stay out of work to be with the child."
District 4 candidate(s)
Ami Mizell-Flint: "I know that we are all tired of wearing masks, but, in light of the CDC guideline mentioned above, I agree with the district's decision to continue enforcing students to wear masks. We are continuously watching for changes, and reevaluating every week, but I think it is just best to play it safe, and wear them through the end of the year to avoid the possibility of spreading the virus. Let's finish the year strong, so we can enjoy summer!"
Lynette Lucas: "The students should get back to learning, and part of that is spending time with their friends and hands-on-learning. Part of learning, especially for speech students, is watching facial expressions and watching people talk. When I was in school, washing our hands, respect, and not sneezing on others were encouraged as good habits."
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Here's who represents each district and what schools they include in San Angelo ISD
San Angelo ISD School Board Trustees are elected by voters within each of 6 voting districts. The school board president serves as a member at-large.
KNOW YOUR DISTRICT: See a district map for San Angelo ISD by clicking here
District 1
- Trustee: Bill Dendle, Term Expires: 2021
- Schools represented: Lake View High School, Lincoln Middle School, Alta Loma Elementary, Fannin Elementary, Goliad Elementary, Holiman Elementary
District 2
- Trustee: Art Hernandez, Term Expires: 2021
- Schools represented: Belaire Elementary, Bradford Elementary, San Jacinto Elementary
District 3
- Trustee: Taylor Kingman, Term Expires: 2021
- Schools represented: Central High School, Glenn Middle School, Lonestar Middle School, Austin Elementary, Crockett Elementary, Santa Rita Elementary
District 4
- Trustee: Ami Mizell-Flint, Term Expires: 2021
- Schools represented: Bonham Elementary, Bowie Elementary, McGill Elementary
District 5
- Trustee: Max Parker, Term Expires: 2023
- Schools represented: Lamar Elementary
District 6
- Trustee: Gerard Gallegos, Term Expires: 2023
- Schools represented: Central Freshman Campus, Fort Concho Elementary, Glenmore Elementary, Reagan Elementary, Carver Learning Center
San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees meetings are held on the second and third Monday of each month at 5:45 P.M. at the SAISD Administration Office. Board members each serve four year terms.
John Tufts covers enterprise and investigative topics in West Texas. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.