KNOX, Pa. (EYT) — Many concerned parents and citizens met on Labor Day at Peanut Park in Knox ready to take action against Gov. Tom Wolf’s mask mandate order.

(Pictured above: Jason Say addresses the gathered crowd.)

The governor announced in a press conference on Tuesday, August 31, a new mask mandate for Commonwealth public schools to take effect today — September 7.

Since Tuesday, residents have taken strong stances opposing the new order, most prominently in Keystone School District where a group of parents known as My Kid, My Choice! organized a public meeting to pressure the school board to resist the mandate.

“There’s a lot of misperception that we’re these raving, crazy lunatics,” Jason Say, the leader of My Kid, My Choice!, told exploreVenango.com.

“Our goal is simple: We want to give the school board and administration an arrow in their quiver that they can fight the bureaucrats in Harrisburg that don’t care about northwestern Pennsylvania.”

As Say explained it, My Kid, My Choice! has three goals: to stop the mask mandate, to ensure in-person learning in schools, and to empower local school boards and administrators to make decisions based on what local parents say, not the state government in Harrisburg.

“We’ve been in this for two years, and we can make up our own minds. Simple thing, it’s my kid, my choice. It’s that simple,” said Say, whose daughter currently attends Keystone Jr-Sr. High School.

“Why are we putting our kids through this?” asked My Kid, My Choice! member David Deemer. “We had the amendments, and those got passed and ended the emergency order, and now they’re coming back and trying to slip it through. People are frustrated. We’re tired, and our kids matter.”

One issue that kept getting brought up at the meeting was the mental health aspect.

Many parents, like My Kid, My Choice! member Leigh Black, argued the mask mandate would be extremely detrimental to their kids’ mental health.

“The mental health crisis is the real pandemic,” said Black, whose daughter is a tenth grader at Keystone.

My Kid, My Choice! has already engaged in one successful action.

Last week, they mobilized parents in Keystone School District for a letter campaign, sending in hundreds of letters to Keystone School District arguing against their enforcement of the mask mandate on September 7.

“The school district said our kids don’t have to wear masks starting Tuesday,” said Say.

However, My Kid, My Choice! believes the fight against masks in schools is still not over.

“We know bigger fights are coming down the road,” said Say. “This is a good start. If we stick together, there is no doubt in my mind that we can win.”

My Kid, My Choice! presented three strategies to implement their goals.

First of all, Say explained that people need to show up en masse at the next Keystone School Board meeting on Monday, September 20.

“I want every single person that’s here to show up to that school board meeting,” he said. “I want you to just be honest. Let them know if you’re upset. Let them know if you’re tired.”

If pressure at the school board meeting does not work, Say said the next step was a “peaceful protest” against the board and administration.

Finally, Say presented the nuclear option.

If school board appearances and protests do not work, Say said parents must be ready to pull their kids from Keystone and send them to cyber school.

“From my understanding,” Say stated, “Keystone loses 100 kids, they go bankrupt.”

If a student in Pennsylvania elects to go to a cyber school, their school district gives a portion of the funds allocated for that student to the cyber school.

My Kid, My Choice!’s strategy hinges on Keystone School District bowing to pressure from parents, forcing them to choose between the mask mandate or losing students.

“It breaks my heart, and I’m hopeful it never comes to it,” said Say, “But, we have to be prepared if the school board calls our bluff to go through with that.”

Though these actions seem aggressive, Say and My Kid, My Choice! were careful to present themselves as allies of the Keystone School Board.

“The school board is not the problem,” he said. “The school’s hands are tied. We have to help them out as a group.”

My Kid, My Choice!’s message resonated among parents from other school districts, as well.

There were reportedly residents from A-C Valley, Clarion Area, Clarion-Limestone, North Clarion, Brookville, and Cranberry School Districts at the Labor Day meeting.

Juanita Stiglitz, a parent of an A-C Valley student, said the mask mandate inspired her to action.

“If you think our children haven’t been affected by this,” she said, “You’re wrong.”

Stiglitz and another group of parents from A-C Valley said they will be holding a similar meeting at the park in Parker on September 8 at 6:00 p.m.

(Pictured above: Leigh Black finishes her speech, telling assembled parents she is “done” watching her kids “lose their education.”)