MT. JULIET, Tenn (WTVF) — Wilson County school officials released the district's COVID-19 back-to-school plans last week.
It includes a traditional plan with both in-class learning and virtual learning options. In the classroom, face coverings are required for teachers and staff but not for students.
As districts determine what the school year will look like during this pandemic, students are asking for a seat at the table when it comes to matters involving their health and safety.
"It’s such an easy thing to implement to save lives; and to us, it’s not really a question, a little bit of uncomfortable but you save lives, said Mya Foley, a sophomore at Green Hill High School.
A group of Mount Juliet high school students formed a teen advocacy group to focus on issues that matter to them. They're calling themselves Mt. Juliet Teens for Change.
So far, at top of their list of issues is creating a mask mandate in the schools for 7 through 12th grades.
The Green Hill High School teens want mask-wearing to be mandated in all Wilson County schools and they have a petition with hundreds of signatures of people who agree with them.
"We’re going to keep signing our petition, we’re going to keep emailing them, we’re going to reach out to news sources," said Mya Foley.
This Thursday, the district is calling a special board of Education meeting to discuss if face coverings should or should not be a requirement.
These young women tell us they will be there to make sure it is.
"We do plan on showing up and showing out to that meeting," said Abby Hill, junior at Green Hill, "We have a group of students and we’re going to go and we’re going to raise our voices, we’re going to be wearing our mask and we’re going to fight what we believe in."
The Wilson County Board of Education meeting Thursday will start at 5 p.m. at the Wilson County Board of Education building.
