To the editor:

Last Sunday I sent an email to the Lawrence school board regarding its consideration of returning to the classroom while we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. I noted the following news reports among others:

• The Hill, Aug. 25 – “Florida confirmed almost 9,000 new COVID-19 cases among children within 15 days in August as schools reopen.”

• Lakeland Ledger (Florida), Sept. 15 — “COVID-19 cases reach 70 Polk public schools as county suffers second-youngest death.”

• Lawrence Journal-World, Sept. 23 — “More schools around Kansas go fully remote.”

• Lawrence Journal-World, Sept 25 — “… an elementary school (Eudora) has halted in-person classes after Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department officials asked it to do so after multiple staff member cases.”

In the Sept. 29 Journal-World I saw this on the front page: “School Board voices concerns about hybrid learning plan” and “New cases in Kansas top previous record.”

Then I learn that Monday the school board, spurred on by the district administration and a scolding from the superintendent, voted to move to this “hybrid plan” in the midst of this pandemic. The optics of this decision, made as the board met virtually due to COVID concerns, drip with irony. To the superintendent, the administration and the board I ask, how dare you?

That children, teachers and staff will sicken and some will die as a direct result of this decision is certain. How many must die unnecessarily before this insane experiment is ended?

Doug Burger,

Lawrence