Parents gathered in Carmel Friday for a rally about mask-wearing policies in schools.

Parents at the rally say that they should decide whether their children wear a mask in school, not the district or the state. They told News 12 they worry what impact mask wearing has on their kids' education and socialization.

Some parents say they're more concerned about the effects of mask wearing than they are about COVID.

While children have had less severe cases of COVID than adults, more of them are being admitted into hospitals in recent weeks.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pediatric hospitalizations for COVID are higher than ever before. This past week, about 280 were hospitalized each day nationwide.

However, parents at the rally say they want more data about local cases.

"I don't want to hear that somebody in South Carolina has five different strains of I don't care what,” says parent Brianna Fitzpatrick. “I want to know what happens in Carmel. That's when I'd be okay with them taking action."

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Friday she'll be making a big announcement about masks in school on Tuesday.