Following a last-minute reversal by School District 2 Superintendent Greg Upham to require students, teachers and staff to wear masks in school, a crowd of about 200 people gathered in Pioneer Park in Billings yesterday to express their disapproval of this decision and to pressure the district into revisiting the issue. Options mentioned at the gathering included contacting administrators, refusing to cooperate with the requirement or keeping their kids at home. It was announced that petitions will be sent to Governor Greg Gianforte and Superintendent Upham along with plans for a protest in downtown Billings later this week.
Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen was recently on Voices of Montana, where she discussed parents’ concerns with mask mandates ahead of the school year. She noted what has been done so far and what can still be done.
