SALEM — Masking remains a choice at Salem City Schools, but Superintendent Sean Kirkland said Wednesday that’s a policy that’s constantly under review, noting that “mandatory masking is a possibility.”
“If we feel that it’s needed based on numbers, we’ll implement a masking mandate for all,” he said.
Kirkland was contacted for comment after the numbers of positive cases and quarantined students in Salem City Schools since school started were reported during the Salem City Health District board meeting Wednesday afternoon.
He said the numbers are clearly trending up.
The argument to mask or not to mask came up during the last school board meeting, with two parents of children who are immunocompromised stressing the need for all students and staff to wear masks. A third parent spoke out for the other side, saying it should be a choice left to the parents.
Choice is the current policy and Kirkland said when the school year began, there wasn’t a lot of mask-wearing, even though he said he was going to urge everyone to wear masks. As numbers of cases have risen, he’s noticed more masks being worn, with most of the athletes wearing them and many staff members.
“I’d like to see everybody wearing them. We need to keep kids in school,” Kirkland said.
At the previous school board meeting, he said they’re following Ohio Department of Health guidelines for schools to follow, noting that if someone is masked and they’re near someone who tested positive, they get to stay in school and extracurriculars, such as sports. If they’re not wearing a mask, they have to quarantine.
A copy of the updated guidelines are available on the school website at https://ift.tt/3nJjzzj, along with the numbers for active cases and quarantines for both students and staff.
“We are continually looking at the numbers and trends, working with the Salem health department and updating the school board,” he said.
He stressed that if the district enacts a mandatory masking policy, it will be reviewed on a biweekly basis and revisited with the idea of changing it back to choice if numbers improve. He wants kids to have as normal of an experience at school as they can.
From everything he’s been told by health professionals, the governor, the CDC, masks work. Part of the problem, though, is masks aren’t mandated in other places. A kid can wear a mask at school all day, then go out to a concert, a fair, a sporting event or other crowded venue where no masks are required.
During the health board meeting, city Health Commissioner Alanna Stainbrook shared the school district’s COVID numbers since school started, as of last Friday: 13 positive cases and 39 contact quarantined from the high school; six positive cases and 33 quarantined from the middle school; 10 positive cases and 42 quarantined at Southeast; four positive cases and 13 quarantined at Reilly; and one positive case and 18 quarantined at Buckeye.
She also noted that eight players from the football team were placed in the quarantine protocol after being exposed at lunch to a student who tested positive.
Kirkland confirmed that those numbers are constantly changing. According to the school website, the active numbers as of Wednesday for students were: two positive and 12 contact quarantined from the high school; five positive and 15 quarantined from the middle school; two positive and 14 quarantined from Southeast; three positive and seven quarantined from Reilly; and two positive and 11 quarantined from Buckeye. Out of all the school staff at all school buildings, there was only one positive case (from Buckeye) and only one in contact quarantine (from Southeast).
Stainbrook said the health district is handling the contact tracing again for the schools and a letter has been prepared to give to students regarding guidelines for contact quarantining. She also said the school has ODH guidelines that, simply put, say if a student isn’t wearing a mask and is exposed to a positive COVID person, they’re going to be quarantined. If they wear a mask and don’t have symptoms, they don’t have to quarantine.
She said she heard about a child being hospitalized and how on social media it was being said that the school wasn’t taking care of the children. She said she doesn’t know how much to believe from social media posts, but she does believe the school district is following the recommended school guidelines.
“I do believe our schools are trying their hardest to take care of the children,” Stainbrook said.
"Review" - Google News
September 16, 2021 at 11:41AM
https://ift.tt/3kdeEEv
Masking under review at Salem schools | News, Sports, Jobs - SalemNews.net
"Review" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YqLwiz
https://ift.tt/3c9nRHD
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Masking under review at Salem schools | News, Sports, Jobs - SalemNews.net"
Post a Comment