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State Board of Education hears from parents opposed to masks, vaccines

A teacher wearing a protective mask walks around the classroom during a lesson at an elementary school in San Francisco in October 2020.
David Paul Morris
/
Bloomberg via Getty Images
A teacher wearing a protective mask walks around the classroom during a lesson at an elementary school in San Francisco in October 2020.

Dozens of people opposed masking requirements and vaccine mandates during the public comment portion of a state Board of Education meeting today.

But the board does not have the authority to implement or prevent mask or vaccine rules.

Former teacher Bonnie Wood says it was still important for her to show up, since the school board can influence the state Legislature. "So, if they’re for mandating it, their position is going to be more swayed than the other. So, in the mix of things, it’s very important what they think," she said.

Michigan's school mask mandates have been a patchwork of local rules. The state recommends universal mask-wearing in schools, but it hasn't made it a requirement this school year.