COVID-19 protocols at Iola schools will change slightly, reducing the time students are required to wear face masks during an outbreak.
The district will keep its current policy, which calls for all students and staff in a building to wear face masks when the infection rate reaches 4% or more.
Previously, the mask mandate would remain in effect for 14 days or longer if infection rates remained high. That was changed to seven days, including weekends, after school principals asked for the change.
The difference may be moot, as infection rates have dropped in the district and county.
Currently, only one positive COVID case is reported districtwide. The district reached a high of 75 on Jan. 21.
The county’s active cases were at 35 this morning, down from more than 400 just a couple of weeks ago.
SCHOOL principals at a Jan. 24 meeting asked the board to reduce the time spent in masks, as cases dropped rapidly only a few days after the spike.
They cited the disruptions to learning caused by wearing face masks.
Board members didn’t address their concerns at the time, saying they would take time to consider the matter.
Iola High School principal Scott Carson, representing the administrative team, read a statement that asked the board to follow the CDC and Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which reduced quarantine times to five days.
Board member Jennifer Taylor made the motion to reduce the time spent wearing masks, and praised Carson and other building principals for their efforts to keep students and staff safe during the challenges of the pandemic.
“I really appreciate you being so honest. You are the boots on the ground. It cannot be understated how much you care for our kids and how much work you do. And the teachers, too,” Taylor said “I know the last two years have been beyond what any of us thought. I know you took some heat but people don’t realize how much you do and how much you care, so thank you.”
