KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Shawnee Mission School Board voted unanimously Monday night to approve a COVID-19 mitigation strategy that could soon make face masks optional for all students.
New mitigation guidelines go into effect Feb. 16, just a day before the Johnson County Board of Commissioners meets to decide whether to extend the county's mask mandate or let it expire.
The current county mandate requires masks for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
If county commissioners allow the mask requirement to expire, masks would be optional for elementary students in one of the area's largest school districts.
Masks also will be optional for SMSD middle and high school students.
Students who ride school buses are required by federal regulation to wear masks while on the buses unless, "there is documentation presented to the school for a medical mask exemption."
David Smith with the Shawnee Mission School District spokesperson David Smith told KSHB 41 News on Tuesday the decision to make masks optional came after the school board was presented with the latest COVID numbers within Johnson County.
"What I can tell you is the county epidemiologist Elizabeth Holzschuch came and spoke about data trends in the county and we know across the county including in schools the numbers have been declining significantly," Smith said.
But there are situations where students would put back on face masks in their school buildings.
"If a school building reaches greater than 3% positive COVID cases or the overall absentee rate related to illness is greater than 5%, the building will return to full mask requirements, according to the district's mitigation plan," Smith said. "The building will remain masked for at least 14 days and until the percentage of positive cases is less than 3% and overall absentee rate related to illness is less than 5%."
The district also revealed a plan to deal with illnesses after extended breaks, like Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring breaks.
In addition, the district recommends all eligible individuals get the COVID-19 vaccine.
"As an education community, we believe our shared, primary goal remains to keep schools open so that our children can learn and benefit from interactions from others," according to a statement in the mitigation plan. "We understand that this goal requires the collective effort of our educators, families, public health and county officials, as well as support from the medical community."
Smith says the district is advising parents to do what is best for their kids and families when it comes to sending kids to school with masks.
"So I would say parents and students and staff should feel free to wear their masks if that's what they are most comfortable with," Smith said. "I know there would be certain circumstances where I will wear my mask, and I know that's for the protection of other people and myself so I would encourage if we want to wear masks feel free to do that."
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