News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Axl Hornak, left, and his mother Patricia Carlson give public comment to the board of education in Alpena on Monday. Carlson said it should be parents and students’ decision if they should wear masks, and not the schools or the government’s.

ALPENA — A child who refuses to wear a mask to school beginning today in Alpena is subject to suspension.

That was the answer Alpena Public Schools Superintendent David Rabbideau gave after heavy pressure from parents who wanted to know the ramifications should they send their children to school without a face mask.

Despite pleas, and threats, from a majority of attendees at Monday’s board of education meeting, the board doesn’t intend to budge on the mandate.

The mandate was ordered to help limit the spread of COVID-19, which has caused recent employee shortages and put students in quarantine after close exposure and contact tracing.

RELATED STORY: “Rogers City schools issue mask mandate”

News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Liberty Ruemenapp, left, wears a mask and allows her father Ernest Ruemenapp to take an oxygen reading while she wears a mask. Ernest Ruemenapp said the Michigan Occupational and Safety Administration wouldn’t allow him to work in confined spaces because of the restriction to the oxygen levels. He said masks restrict oxygen even more.

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During a pair of public comment periods, a steady parade of parents shared their concerns and opinions, often loudly.

Although some thanked the school system for its preventative action, many indicated that they reached their breaking point and threatened to remove their kids from the school system, find alternate methods of education, or file lawsuits.

Among those who made comment was Alpena Public Schools employee Lee Fitzpatrick, who spoke in favor of the mandate, as did District Health Department No. 4 Certified Health Education Specialist Cathy Goike.

Goike made comment as parent, and not in regards to her position at the health department.

“I appreciate and applaud you for taking the time to make sure our students are kept safe and healthy,” Goike said. “I appreciate your mandate and following the science.”

A large number of attendees didn’t wear face coverings, while the few who spoke in support of it appeared to be in the minority.

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Ernest Ruemenapp, who worked for DTE for many years before retiring, said federal regulations forbid employees to work in confined spaces that restrict oxygen flow. Using his daughter Liberty, who wore a common medical mask, and an air-measurement device, he showed how he believes the same limitations set by the government for confined spaces also apply to mask-wearers.

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His test on the mask and the air set off a warning alarm on the device.

“The Occupational and Safety Administration wouldn’t allow me or my co-workers into these confined spaces because they set off the atmosphere alarm, yet we expect children to have the mask on all day long in an atmosphere the government says is not healthy?” Ruemenapp asked.

Numerous medical organizations dispute that claim, pointing to research that shows carbon dioxide levels do not climb and oxygen levels do not fall while wearing face masks. Surgeons wear face masks for long surgeries without adverse health affects.

At many times during the meeting, there was loud applause and cheering when someone made a point the audience believed helped its case with the board. There were also many signs urging the board to do away with the mask mandate.

Rabbideau addressed some of the parents’ concerns about suspension and said punishment will be handed out on a case-by-case basis, but added if a student doesn’t comply, and doesn’t have the proper waiver from a doctor, some will likely be made to spend some days at home.

He did promise to not mandate the vaccine.

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Some parents said they intend to remove their kids from school before Student Count Day, a day when all public schools in Michigan are required to tally the number of students attending their schools. Count information is critical to districts, because each student translates into state funding, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

The school announced Sunday that to date, 29 COVID-19 infections have been confirmed and 232 students are in quarantine because of close contact with an infected individual.

Thunder Bay Junior High School transitioned to remote learning last week after a staffing shortage due to COVID-infections, quarantines, and other illnesses.

School transportation has also been impacted, and, on several occasions, buses didn’t pick up students because of an employee shortage and health concerns.