COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Dylan Merrill, Zoe Diaz, and Mia Rhea worked for months on a school project that would later see them win a state competition.
The girls, called Team Recycle, created the idea for an app that could make recycling easier.
“We created a blueprint for a recycling app that would scan an item’s barcode to tell you if it’s recyclable and if it is, show you the proper steps to,” Dylan explained.
The app, called R.E.C.Y.C.L.E, stands for Recycle Every Day, Change Your Community, Love Your Environment. It went on to win the InVenture Prize at Georgia Tech.
“It was amazing. It was so much fun. We were all together and it was just, all of our hard work had finally paid off and it was really satisfying,” Mia said.
But now the girls say they’re taking a stand of their own, by refusing Cobb County School Board’s recognition, after a mask request was seemingly denied.
In emails provided to 11Alive by Dylan’s mom, Kerri, the principal of Mt. Bethel Elementary, where the girls previously went to school, worked with the school board to arrange for their recognition at the board’s September meeting.
Too young to be vaccinated, the girls asked that everyone inside wear a mask while they were there.
“My friends aren’t vaccinated but I am, and I feel like that would be putting my friends at risk,” Dylan explained.
The principal wrote to the girls’ mothers, mentioning that he sent their request to the board.
“I reached out to CCSD and the response I received was - Per District Protocol, masks are strongly encouraged but remain optional,” the email read.
As a result, Dylan, Mia, and Zoe said, they felt slighted that board members seemingly refused to wear a mask and they won’t go to the meeting.
“I feel most comfortable around people with masks,” said Zoe. “They say it’s strongly encouraged, yet they don’t wear their mask?”
Mia added, “Honestly, I felt kind of offended because, it’s five, ten minutes, just a simple photo shoot, and since we feel more comfortable being around people with their masks, that they couldn’t do that just for a short period of time?”
Cobb County’s been at the center of back and forth over masks since the school year started. There’s been a few protests, with supporters thanking Superintendent Chris Ragsdale for his position on keeping masks optional in school. But, there’s also been outcry from people who say a mandate would drive down and prevent more COVID cases in schools.
Recently, Ragsdale, also a member of the Cobb County Board of Health, was the only person to abstain from voting on a memo that called for stronger precautions in the county, including making masks mandatory in schools. Ragsdale said he didn’t feel comfortable voting on something he didn’t receive ahead of time to thoroughly read.
The young ladies worked on creating something to improve the community and they said they want to see the same from their leaders.
“Just lead by example and I’m disappointed that they don’t want to put on a mask to honor us,” said Dylan said.
Mia added, “All three of us wear masks all day, so I just really don’t understand that.”
Dylan’s mom Kerri, said board member Charisse Davis, along with some of the girls’ teachers will plan a photo shoot honoring the girls at the September 23 board meeting, but it’ll take place outside.
The girls said they appreciated that someone was willing to go out of their way to honor them still.
11Alive reached out to Charisse Davis and a school board spokesperson for comment.
"Only the district spokesperson, John Floresta, can speak about the request that was made but I will be meeting with the team to offer my congratulations. I'm very proud of them," Davis said.