INSANITY: Largest Idaho School District Mandates Masks Unless Parents Opt Out in Person, and the Line Wrapped Around the Admin Building

Because the Governor of Idaho refused to ban mask mandates in public schools, different districts and cities are doing all different things this school year. Although Republican Governor Brad Little hasn’t mandated anything, he left parents “to the wolves” as many who didn’t want mandates have had to attend school board meeting after school board meeting. Even one Republican-leaning city, Nampa, which did not institute a mandate, had one charter school which did. Parents were caught off guard when Idaho Arts Charter pulled that last-minute change. Charter schools don’t have to go along with the rest of the city, because each one has its own board.

But for today’s story, in neighboring Ada County, the West Ada School district tried to do the same thing Idaho Arts Charter did last night, with a last-minute change from optional masks, to mandatory. But because so many parents showed up to protest the idea, they allowed for parents to opt-out of the mandatory masks rule for schools in that district, which covers Meridian, Idaho.

In addition to Meridian, the district operates public schools in Eagle, Star, and western Boise. It is the largest school district in Idaho, according to Wikipedia. Many are questioning how it is mandatory if you can opt-out. Many see it as a “cop-out” to just doing either mandatory or optional, to try to please everyone.

If you go to the website for the West Ada School District, a pop-up blocks you from viewing the site until you agree with the information regarding their mask policy. As you can see below, parents can fill out an opt-out form and take it to the school in person. See website:

Today, a line was wrapped around the West Ada District building, of parents opting out. Many may question why this was a good idea if they’re trying to prevent people from gathering in close proximity without masks in the first place. Why couldn’t the parents do this online, and why did they have to do it at all, knowing that most parents would anyway. This isn’t much different than just making masks optional, with ridiculous extra steps.

Watch video:

The Republican Lieutenant Governor, Janice McGeachin opined on the matter:

“I am encouraged to see hundreds of Idaho parents taking action to protect their children from West Ada School District’s unnecessary mask mandate that has no “statistically significant benefit.””

This is yet another example of Republicans failing to show leadership and causing chaos and disarray in their states. We reported on a similar issue with South Dakota’s Republican Governor Kristi Noem earlier today as you can read here.

Many parents in the Boise/Meridian/Nampa region are pulling their kids. They are sick of the whiplash of mask mandates vs masks being optional. Additionally, the school in Nampa, Idaho that we mentioned earlier, reportedly kicked off the year by having kids introduce themselves by their preferred pronouns. Parents in a local support group were shocked.

Many had already pulled their kids over the last-minute mask mandate, and others who had not yet suggested in the group that after today they may change their mind and homeschool. The state has reportedly banned Critical Race Theory, but that has not stopped what many see as left-wing indoctrination from infiltrating the public and taxpayer-funded charter schools anyway.

If red states don’t get wise quick with what’s happening in their schools, they will soon not be red states, any longer, in our view.