In a special meeting Sunday evening, May 16, the first ever under Superintendent Mark Schneider, the Mid-Prairie School Board voted 5-1 to end the districts mask mandate and to adopt the guidance …
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In a special meeting Sunday evening, May 16, the first ever under Superintendent Mark Schneider, the Mid-Prairie School Board voted 5-1 to end the districts mask mandate and to adopt the guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) late Friday, May 14.
Schneider explained that he received notification from DPH at 2:38 p.m. Friday recommending that masks for students should be at the discretion of the parents. Quarantine rules were changed so that students exposed to the virus are no longer required to be quarantined. If a student is sick and tests positive for COVID, they would be required to quarantine.
Transportation masks are still in effect based on CDC guidelines.
The board asked questions about the impact of the change to current Board Policy. Board members discussed the implications with two and a half weeks left of school.
Jeremy Pickard moved to remove the current mask policy effective immediately. Mary Allred seconded the motion. Motion Carried 5-1 with Gabrielle Frederick voting no. Board member Christine Meader was absent. Frederick was also the only board member or staff to wear a mask at the special meeting.
Schneider sent an email to all parents stating:
“Tonight, the school board voted to rescind [the mask] policy. In its place, the district will follow the new guidance that was issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) late last Friday afternoon.
“Therefore, starting tomorrow (Monday), the new IDPH guidance provides parents and students the sole responsibility for determining whether the student will wear a mask at school. The school district will no lwonger make public the student absentee rate nor use that data to determine whether the wearing of masks should be mandatory in our school buildings.
“However, the wearing of masks will remain mandatory while students are on our school buses. The mandatory wearing of masks while on conveyances (which according to our school attorney includes school buses) is by a federal order and not subject to the new IDPH state guidelines.”
Schneider stated that masks will no longer be required at outdoor events such as soccer, track, baseball, softball, etc. Masks at inside events will be at the discretion of parents. He also noted that other illnesses among students have been down this year.
