On Tuesday, February 15th the Shepherd Board of Education unanimously approved an update to our Back to School/Covid-19 Plan.
Given the opportunity for all individuals age 5 and up to receive a vaccine, the consistent availability of N95 or KN95 masks (for those who want a reliable mask when 2-way masking isn’t present) and the decreasing transmission rates in our community, the board approved two changes to our plan:
- Masking will now be recommended but not required in any covid quarantine/close contact situations moving forward unless a building reaches a 3% positivity rate.
- The positivity rate for each building moved from 1% to 3%.
Masking on buses is a FEDERAL regulation that the Board of Education has no authority to change. It is set to expire on March 18th, 2022.
The Board of Education is hopeful that we will not reach 3% in any of our buildings for the rest of the school year. When we reach those numbers, we’ve had a hard time staffing classrooms and had to go virtual. So a stop-gap measure seemed necessary.
On February 16th, MDHHS repealed their public health advisory for indoor masking in the state due to decreased transmission rates. The board is continuing to monitor this matter in our district and determine what our best course of action can be.