To: Board and Administrators of Fort Zumwalt, Francis Howell, Wentzville and St Charles School Districts

From: St Charles Area Physicians, other health care providers and concerned parents

Dear Superintendents, School Board Members, and Administrators:

Thank you for your excellent handling of mitigating COVID-19 transfer within our schools in the 2020-
2021 school year through mandating masks and social distancing.

I write this letter, with the support of medical and local community members undersigned, to urge
you to continue the practices of mandating masks and social distancing in the 2021-2022 school year.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have worked directly with hundreds of COVID-19
patients and their care providers to improve our community health. I am the President of St Louis Nurses in
Advanced Practice, representing nearly 1,000 nurse practitioners, and the Chair of the Advanced Practice
Provider Council at one of the largest organizations in the region, representing another 250+ Advanced
Practitioners. I have been an internal medicine nurse practitioner for twelve years and before that a
registered nurse for six years.

I urge you to consider both issues: new COVID-19 variants have become more prevalent in children,
and children have shown to spread the virus in our communities. The most recent guidelines from the CDC
(July 9, 2021) and American Academy of Pediatrics (July 19, 2021) recommend mandating masks for all
students currently ineligible for vaccination and for those eligible unvaccinated.

In St. Charles County this last month (6/24/21-7/24/21), there have been 271 cases of COVID-19 in
children under 18 years of age1. For comparison, in March/April 2021, when local schools were in session and
masks were mandated, the Department of Public Health in St. Charles County reported only 4 cases.

Missouri has had the biggest percent increase in child cases in July in the entire United States2,
according to The Children’s Hospital Association and The American Academy of Pediatrics. St. Charles County
pediatricians are also reporting an increase in cases in their patients over the last month. Ten children were
hospitalized with COVID-19 at St. Louis Children’s Hospital on 7/25/2021 for reference.

Continuing a mask mandate will ensure schools provide the best opportunity for learning without
interruption from illness, contact isolation and quarantine. I and the undersigned all agree that our students
learn best in school with their friends and teachers, and that they need to be safe.

Safe, in-person learning through mandated masks and social distancing has been shown (just last
year) to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in St. Charles County.

Please review the following evidenced-based resources for understanding and sharing with others
how masks limit COVID-19 transmission in our communities:

 https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/65/11/1934/4068747?login=true
 https://journals.asm.org/doi/abs/10.1128/jb.83.3.663-667.1962
 https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/mSphere.00637-20
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7510705/

Sincerely,
1
St Charles County Department of Public Health Dashboard: https://www.sccmo.org/2105/COVID-19
2
Children’s Hospital Association and American Academy of Pediatrics (2021). Children and COVID-19: State Data
Report (See Enclosures)
1. Maria L Walls MSN, APRN, ANP-C, (Adult Nurse Practitioner), parent of Jackson Walls
2. Don A. Walls, parent of Jackson Walls at Dardenne Elementary
3. Randy Agolia, MD, O’Fallon Pediatrics
4. Cecilia Yu, MD, O’Fallon Pediatrics
5. John Myers, MD, O’Fallon Pediatrics
6. Philip Riechert, MD, O’Fallon Pediatrics
7. Stacey Monaco, MD, pediatrician for 21 years
8. Andrew Gold, MD
9. Chiniya Thapa, MD
10. William Birenbaum, MD
11. Elizabeth Liu, MD
12. Roland T. Njei, MD, father of 2 John Weldon students
13. Michael Missler, MD
14. Mark Baldeshwiler, MD, Emergency Department and parent of a child in the FHSD
15. Dawn Garzon, PhD, CPNP-PC, PMHC, FAANP, FAAN (Pediatric Nurse Practitioner)
16. Bridget Doerr-Openlander MSN, APRN, FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner)
17. Maggie Lewis MSN, APRN, FNP, (Family Nurse Practitioner) Urgent Care Wentzville/St Peters
18. Melissa Bevel ,RNC-NIC, BSN, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
19. Susan Mitchell-Derenski MSN, APRN, WHNP, (Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner)
20. Heidi Geis ANP-BC, FNP-C, ENP-C, Medical Director Total Access Urgent Care, Brigade Leader
21. Traci Wagoner, RN, MSN, APRN-BC, Family Practice and Occupational Health and Francis Howell
parent
22. Shannon and Debbie Connell-Dent DNP, APRN, FNP-C (Family Nurse Practitioner) and parent to
Bradley, Matthew and Madelyn Dent
23. Shelly Hanko, PhD, FNP-BC, (Family Nurse Practitioner), Associate Professor
24. Amanda Urick, PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology and parent of a child in the FHSD
25. Andrea Ebert, RN, parent of students at Wentzville South Middle and Stone Creek Elementary
26. Katie Coleman RN, BSN, parent of two Fort Zumwalt students
27. Erica Banes, WHNP (Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner) and Josh Banes, parents of students at
Progress South Elementary and South Middle School
28. Marcia and Kevin Slattery, KidsRKids Learning Academy
29. Melanie Wehmeyer Francisco, parent of Camden and Carson and Pediatric RN with 20+ years’
experience
30. Lauren Dodson, pediatric and adult RN with 12+ years, parent of two children in the district
31. Cassandra Shaffar-Njei, RN, CCRN, mother of 2 John Weldon students
32. Amanda Watts, RN, parent of 5th grader in the St Charles School District
33. Marikka Lombardo BSN, RN Pediatric Emergency Room Registered Nurse
34. Kerry Hammer Schindler, parent of two children under 12, President of the Dardenne Elementary
PTC
35. Dusti and Jeff Bilodeau, parents of Jordan, Kalynn and Landon at Fairmount, Saeger and FHC
36. Monica Claus, parent of students at Boone Trail Elementary
37. Cindy Bogar Behrens, parent of students at Warren and Saeger
38. AnnMarie Maniscalco, parent of students at East High and St Peter’s Elementary
39. Amy Rhoades, parent of students at Mount Hope, North Middle and North High
40. Nele Ling Shaw
41. Heather Zychalski, OTR/L and parent of two children in the district
42. Megan Caldwell, parent of two children in the district
43. Paul and Barb Rost, parents of Molly Rost at Forest Park Elementary incoming 5th grader
44. Dianne and Jeremy Adamson, parents of two children (1st and 3rd grade) in the district
45. Monica and Michael Behrens, parents of two children in the district
46. Christian and Stephanie Burrus, parents of children at Hawthorn Elementary
47. Ian and Kari Andersen, parents of children at Ostmann Elementary
48. Lisa and Glen Oberle, parents of children at PSE and South Middle
49. Eric and Kate Neff
50. Aimee and Byron Robertson, parents of five children in the Fort Zumwalt School District
51. Angie and Adam Quigley, parents of a Hackmann Early Childhood student
52. Lauren Raab
53. Brad and Anne Owens, parent of a child in the Wentzville district
54. Sean and Gina Plowman, parents of an 8th grader at SMS, 5th grade at PSE and pre-K
55. Anne Wagener Giambalvo, parent of three children in the Zumwalt District
56. Mandy Hurt, parent of a K and 4th grader at Stone Creek in WSD
57. Heather Leigh
58. Kenny and Brianna Duenke, parents of three children in the district in TCE, FZWMS and FZWHS
59. Bridget and Jameson Allen, parents of a 1st grader at Saint Peters Elementary, 3rd grader at Lewis and
Clark Elementary, 8th grader at Dubray Middle and 3 year old at Fort Zumwalt Early Childhood
60. Christy and Paul Lohman, parents of three children in the Howell District
61. Jeanine Gahr, parent of two Fort Zumwalt District students
62. Lauren Langley-Rheinecker, parent of a Mount Hope student
63. Amy Bahn Schwarzkopf, parent of two first graders at Progress South
64. Stefanie Pisarkiewicz, parent of one student at Progress South, 1 student at South Middle and 1
student at South High
65. Doris Goodloe, parent of three children at Westoff Elementary
66. Jennifer Powers, parent of a student who just graduated from Holt and one that will be in 5 th grade
at Wabash and teacher in the district
67. Lynne
68. Allison Fontana, parent of FZ West Middle student, currently too young to be vaccinated
Art and Sandi Grogan, parents of student at St Charles FHSD
69. Jocelyn Butterfield, MA, CCP-SLP, employee and parent of two in the Wentzville School District
70. Bob and Jenn Parkin, parents of a first grader at Progress South
71. Stephanie Tennill and David Brandsteder, parents of a first grader at PSE
72. Will & Dee Jones, parents of two children in the Fort Zumwalt School District
73. Stacy Fernandes Moore, parent of fourth grader at Progress South and a sophomore at South High
School
74. Brad and Kristi Zoref, parents of two children at FHSD- Early Childhood
75. Laura and Paul Unger, parents of a child in FHSD and employer at a district in St Charles
76. Jennifer and Greg Naslund, parents of children in 10th and 11th grade at West School District
77. Kara Hopper
78. MJ Brennan
79. Don and Michelle Guker, Progress South Elementary and South Middle School
80. Justin and Ashley Lazier, parents of Progress South Elementary 1st grader
81. Meghan Bailey, parent of 4th grade student at Progress South Elementary