FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — The pandemic is officially taking its toll on Kambie Perkins.
"My son has autism, and we've put so many hours in at Children's Hospital (Cincinnati) for speech classes and OT classes, and he's regressing like I've never seen before," Perkins said.
Perkins was part of the "Let them Learn" group consisting of roughly fifty protesters gathered on Tuesday outside the Capitol building. They hope their message is heard by Gov. Andy Beshear, who recommended last month that schools not resume in-person instruction until September 28.
"We hope he doesn't push that goal post back from September 28, which is what he keeps doing, as you know, with the mask mandate and this and that," said Ann Marie Wambold, a parent from Richmond.
"It's crucial," she said of in-person learning. "Our kids are sliding emotionally, psychologically. And of course their academics- they're losing ground,."
There's also a steep financial burden that some of these parents feel that the governor is not fully grasping.
"I had to cut back my hours so I could be at home," said Rebecca Weber, a nurse from Northern Kentucky. "My husband had to rearrange his schedule to be home. I have to work. Financially, I can't sustain this."
Weber also wondered why a daycare facility could host children and do their virtual learning in that setting, but it's not okay to be inside schools.
"...and some of these day cares are attached to schools, so if that can take place, then why can't they be in school?" Weber asked.
