A private school with two locations in northern Virginia is forcing students 2 years and older to wear masks for the entire school day, including during nap time, a parent with twins in the school told the Daily Caller.
Halston Davis, a father with twin boys enrolled at Karter Schools, told the Daily Caller that his 3-year-old preemies are required to wear face coverings for the duration of the school day, despite an executive order from Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin repealing mask mandates in all schools. Davis alleges the school’s marketing director told his family masks were not required for the entirety of in-classroom learning when initially interviewing with the school.
Davis said he feels his boys are “falling behind” because “seeing other people talk is important for their development.” Davis and his wife attended an in-person meeting with Karter Schools’ leadership and claimed they asked for “flexibility” when masking their children “during instruction.” The school allegedly denied their request.
Karter Schools requires staff, students and parents to wear masks on school property regardless of vaccination status, according to COVID-19 FAQs sent to parents. Children were also required to present a negative test before returning to school if they traveled following winter break, per the FAQ form.
Karter Schools uses a “zono machine” — which is a medical-grade toy sanitizer — air purifiers, daily health screenings, employs an on-site housekeeper, and requires teachers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, according to its website. The private school costs approximately $12,000 per semester, according to Davis.
A spokesperson for Karter Schools told the Daily Caller that they follow the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines “to protect the safety of children and teachers under our care.”
“These mitigation strategies have been implemented in an effort to keep our children and staff safe, as well as remain open to support our working families,” the spokesperson said.
Davis told the Daily Caller that he is searching for alternative schooling options for his kids. Loudoun County Public Schools, where Davis’ children are zoned to, is suspending students who do not wear masks for 10 days or until they comply with the district’s mask mandate. Davis said he’s looking to unmask his kids during instruction. (RELATED: Maskless Students Suspended For Minimum Of 10 Days, Could Face Trespassing Charges)
A study from Brown University that began back in 2009 concluded that COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as masking, likely contribute to a lower “overall cognitive performance” in children born post-pandemic as opposed to pre-pandemic. The study found that “males and children in lower socioeconomic families have been most affected.” The study collected data on 1,600 children aged zero to five and their caregivers.
“We find that children born during the pandemic have significantly reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance compared to children born pre-pandemic,” the study’s authors concluded.