News Photo by Crystal Nelson Students at Ella White Elementary School wear masks as they arrive at school Tuesday.

ALPENA — Three Alpena Public Schools parents on Monday called for the APS Board of Education to end mask mandates in the district.

Parent Michelle Smith told the board she started a petition to unmask students and had gathered 990 signatures as of Monday.

“A lot of parents are very frustrated that we have mask mandates,” she told the board. “I’m for the option to wear a mask, but I do not feel it should be a mandate. I would hope the board would be open to listening to parents.”

Alpena Public Schools currently requires students to wear masks on school buses and inside the school unless they’re taking mask breaks, eating in the cafeteria, or are outside.

Smith said she refuses to send her children to school where they are required to wear masks on their faces all day. She told the board she attended a previous board meeting where success stories were shared, but said she knows kids are struggling to wear masks, aren’t wearing the masks properly, or don’t want to wear masks.

She asked the board when the mandate will end.

Parent Tracie Schaedig said she chose online learning for her students this year because of the district’s mask wearing policies. She told district officials mask wearing should be a parent choice and said she would take her kids out of the district if the district’s mask policy remains in place.

“If you want to do the math and you want to get into the numbers, I have seven children that we should be enrolling next year that will not be enrolling in your district if you continue to force this,” Schaedig said. “I’m trying to be respectful, but I’ve watched my kids struggle with this everywhere.”

Schaedig added she hates seeing what is happening with the kids, their education declining, and not being able to bond with a teacher.

“I firmly believe that that has a huge impact on our kids, creating a bond with staff, seeing their smile, and getting hugs from these people,” she said.

Jim Stalker said parents should decide whether their children wear masks in school. He also told the board he hopes the board of education would transition their meetings back to a face-to-face meeting instead of holding them online on Zoom.

Trustee Eric Lawson asked the board to address concerns members of the public have brought to their attention, particularly those related to masks and other coronavirus related issues.

Vice President Stacy Parr and Treasurer Ned Heath also asked the board to discuss the concerns parents have brought to its attention.

“I think that’s something we have to talk about — I don’t know if it’s going to be at the next meeting or a special meeting,” Heath said about the mask mandates. “I don’t think there is going to be much of a point changing it his year, but definitely in the fall.”

In addition to the mask mandates, members of the public has also asked the school board to declare its position on transgender youth playing sports, critical race theory, and climate change.