BRAZOS VALLEY, TX — The CDC has just announced all vaccinated students and teachers can return next school year without a mask.
Now just weeks away from the first day of school, experts are looking at how students and teachers can return to some normalcy this year.
Caldwell ISD teacher Cody Knott experienced some tough times in the depths of the pandemic.
“I am a fully vaccinated teacher,” said Cody Knott, Caldwell ISD Director of Fine Arts and Band.
The Knott's welcomed a premature baby right at the start of the pandemic. Now with a healthy 15-month-old baby girl, he has not regretted jumping on that opportunity as soon as it became available.
”I trust the science, I trust the vaccine to keep us all safe and healthy,” added Knott.
Believing in science is all Knott wants others to do as well.
With a rising concern on the highly transmissible delta variant and Knott’s firsthand experience in the hospital with COVID, he believes if everyone gets vaccinated the new variants that develop will have no impact on them.
“They’ve come out and said you know if we’re fully vaccinated were okay with the variants that come and go,” said Knott.
Although it feels like school ended just yesterday, Knott is excited to have his students back in a more normal classroom environment.
”In the end, it’s going to make for a better learning experience because we’re going to be in the classroom, you can’t beat that.”
Knott’s shared from those he’s spoken to many teachers are feeling hopeful and excited for this upcoming school year.
The same goes for parents like Candance Lister.
”I’m not one hundred percent sure if I will require my children to take a mask with them or not. One of my children has already had COVID, so it’s not a real big thing in our household, but we do want to protect ourselves and others as much as we can,”
According to the CDC, 44% of people 12 years and older have been fully vaccinated here in Brazos county.