School Board Vote 012522
As the coronavirus continues to spread, the Sioux City school board last night unanimously approved a rule change allowing temporary mask mandates for schools. Siouxland Public Media’s Mary Hartnett has more.
School Board Mask Mandates 1:50
Under the rule change, superintendent Dr. Paul Gausman would be allowed to declare a temporary mask mandate if the covid-19 positivity rate of any school building reaches three percent. The vote updated a policy that’s used for weather emergencies. Gausman said at the meeting he will now be able institute a five-day mask mandate.
Gausman1 :20 “And I’m not saying five calendar, I’m saying five school days, alright. So if it happens on a Tuesday, we are going to wear them next Monday as well. Just so you understand. To watch those percentages and if those days go by, because that building did go above three percent . . . and they are not going down, they are still above three percent, I may extend that for a second five days.
Gausman says he will have accurate positivity rates for each school by 4:00 each day. If the positivity rate reaches three percent, the school would contact families via phone, text, email, and the Blackboard communication system.
Board member Monique Scarlett supported the selective mask mandates, saying some people may not be following proper covid precautions in schools, and because of that, people are still getting infected.
Monique :22. “It’s been brought to my attention that people are still not doing what they need to do, staff are still coming sick, with temperatures. People are being asked to go home, they are not going home, and now it’s spread.
Gausman said students will be asked to bring masks from home if there is a mandate, but the schools will have disposable masks available as well. The rule change will have no effect on masking for buses, that is required of everyone who rides the bus, under a federal mandate. The new rule goes into effect today.
For Siouxland Public Media News, I’m Mary Hartnett.