{
	"type": "rich",
	"version": "1.0",
	"provider_name": "Action Network",
	"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
	
	"html": "<link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/september-2021-rrisd-board-meeting?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-september-2021-rrisd-board-meeting' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div>",
	"author_name": "Families United for Student Safety",
	"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/users/families-united-for-student-safety/profile",
	"title": "Sustain Masking + Invest in Safe Lunches for RRISD",
	"thumbnail_url": "https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg",
	"description": "The next meeting of the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14th. At this meeting, we are asking that Trustees focus on two important issues: End the debates: Sustain masking requirements until public health officials determine they are no longer necessary; and Invest in safe and equitable lunch options for RRISD students. Masking Requirements It&#x27;s time that we stop spending every meeting of the RRISD Board of Trustees repeating the same arguments for and against masking. We urge the Board of Trustees to explicitly link the district&#x27;s masking policy to the recommendations of public health officials in Williamson and Travis counties so that we can ensure that RRISD&#x27;s decision is driven by science and get back to work addressing other issues of critical importance to RRISD students. Safe and Equitable Lunch Options With the recent passage of SB 15, significant state funding is now available to offset the estimated $17.5 million RRISD anticipated spending on the virtual learning program this year. In light of this recent infusion of funds, RRISD parents are asking the Board of Trustees to allocate $3 million for the following outdoor dining investments: Outdoor seating; Shade structures; Infrared heating systems or similar safe heating options for cool weather periods; and Staff time to monitor outdoor dining students and/or coordinate family volunteers to oversee students. The advantages of moving forward with this investment are significant and many: Reduce the risk of mealtime COVID-19 exposure for all in-person RRISD students. Reduce the anxiety of students with higher-risk family members by providing them with an option to further mitigate their risk of bringing COVID-19 home to a family member. Increase the number of families that feel safe returning to school in-person. Reduce the number of RRISD families transferring out of RRISD into Austin ISD and private school programs that offer safer school environments. Ensure that school safety is implemented in an equitable manner: Presently some schools are providing RRISD students with outdoor dining options, while others have no mealtime accommodations available for students whatsoever. Moreover, because RRISD is using the CDC&#x27;s K12 schools exception clause to define close contacts (i.e., unmasked exposures only), now that RRISD currently has a masking policy in place, lunchtime and other mealtimes in school cafeterias are the most likely source of maskless close-contact exposures for RRISD students - exposures which then trigger quarantines. Providing a safer mealtime option for those students who wish to take advantage of it can potentially help RRISD to reduce overall close contacts and the number of students who are missing school time due to quarantine. Send a letter to the RRISD Board of Trustees to ask them to make this timely investment to help to ensure that every RRISD student has a safe mealtime option.",
	"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/september-2021-rrisd-board-meeting"
}