COEUR d’ALENE — Some families in the Coeur d'Alene School District will be standing up for their beliefs by sending their children to school without face masks today.

The "Send our kids without masks" event posted on Facebook had attracted more than 100 responses by Thursday afternoon.

One commenter and proponent of the boycott is Coeur d'Alene mom Melanie Swagerty. She and her daughters are over the mask requirement in their district.

"I'm done," Swagerty said Thursday. "It's over. It's time to let the kids breathe. They need to feel normal. Even if it's for two months, they need to interact and smile at each other."

Swagerty expressed extreme frustration with the current situation — mask mandates across North Idaho have been lifted, but Coeur d'Alene School District is keeping its requirement in place until at least the next board meeting April 19.

One of Swagerty's daughters has overcome physical discomfort all school year as the masks have affected her tactile defensiveness, making her already heightened sensitivity to touch even worse, Swagerty said.

"She comes home and cries almost on the daily, she feels so overwhelmed all day," Swagerty said. "That’s been something I’ve had to deal with all year with my daughter, lots of tears."

Her other daughter has been given detention twice this semester for not having her mask on in the hallway.

"We’re just to the point where we’re done. The county is done," Swagerty said.

She said she's prepared for disciplinary action that might be taken, including her girls being sent home from school. Both daughters attend Lake City High School.

"I want my daughters to see that they have a voice and I will stand up for them," Swagerty said.

School Board Policy 1207 clearly articulates that all students and staff shall be required to wear a mask while on school grounds.

The district released a statement Thursday afternoon in response to the planned protest, acknowledging how polarizing the mask issue is in the community:

"We recognize that no student leaves their First Amendment rights at the front door when they enter their school," the statement reads. "We also recognize there may be student interest in peacefully demonstrating against the mask requirement. We also want everyone to understand that our primary responsibility is to ensure the safety of others in our buildings and sustain the learning environment. Additionally, Policy 1207 is currently the governing guidance and is an expectation for students and staff in the school district."

Unless the board changes the policy, the district asks that students and staff adhere to the expectations of this policy.

"If students do not choose to adhere to the policy, we will work with them to help them try to understand the rules and expectations and why they currently are in place," the district said. "Additionally, we will remind them that our board will consider a change of status in this policy on April 19. If students choose to violate this policy, or any other policy of the school district, they could be subject to our discipline policy."