Covid measures in school 21/22

[JamiMac]

Our district is offering an online option for elementary grades. They’re doing it for the first 9 weeks and then going to evaluate things. I don’t have elementary kids anymore and mine are all vaccinated. So far, masks are optional. It’s pretty easy to offer spacing as our classes sizes are typically not much more than 20 kids. I’m in Collin county (north DFW) and our vaccine rates are at 70% for 12+ and 89% for 65+. I just heard that Dallas ISD instituted a mask mandate for staff and students. I’m not sure if others will follow suit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MSWR0319]

I was just reading an article that said that the federal mask mandate on public transportation includes school buses because schools are publicly funded. Has anyone else heard that? That article said that they hadn’t heard of anyone in our state who wasn’t requiring masks on school buses (clearly haven’t checked our area). Our info for DS’s cross country last week said masks were required on buses but at the parents meeting the athletic director said that was wrong and they aren’t. So who knows.

[ett]

We haven't heard anything from our superintendent yet, but my son's college just revised their mask policy today and will require masks for everyone in indoor public spaces. They said they would review the policy in mid-September.

DS2 will be starting high school and even though he is fully vaccinated and our town's vaccination rate is very high, like 95%, I would still prefer that the school require masks for everyone. I know they always have the option to wear one, but DS2 has already said he won't wear a mask unless required (as I imagine that would be the case for most other kids.)

[essnce629]

We haven't heard anything from our superintendent yet, but my son's college just revised their mask policy today and will require masks for everyone in indoor public spaces. They said they would review the policy in mid-September.

Same for my DS1's college. They revised it on July 28th. Before then it had been masks only for unvaccinated students and staff over the summer.

Sent from my SM-A515U1 using Tapatalk

[wallawala]

I was just reading an article that said that the federal mask mandate on public transportation includes school buses because schools are publicly funded. Has anyone else heard that? That article said that they hadn’t heard of anyone in our state who wasn’t requiring masks on school buses (clearly haven’t checked our area). Our info for DS’s cross country last week said masks were required on buses but at the parents meeting the athletic director said that was wrong and they aren’t. So who knows.

This is true. Buses are federal property and mask mandates apply there regardless of school/local decisions.

Our schools have not announced mask mandates yet, but suspect they will as cases continue to rise here.

[ang79]

[QUOTE=ett;
DS2 will be starting high school and even though he is fully vaccinated and our town's vaccination rate is very high, like 95%, I would still prefer that the school require masks for everyone. I know they always have the option to wear one, but DS2 has already said he won't wear a mask unless required (as I imagine that would be the case for most other kids.)[/QUOTE]

Our school is still sticking with masks optional for all but required on busses. Our county is now substantial spread. My kids are both vaccinated but I don’t trust that most high school and junior high kids are. DD1 is fine wearing a mask if others do but if they don’t mandate it I’m guess many teachers and staff will go without. I don’t understand how/why they are dropping one of the easiest and least expensive forms of mitigation. They managed to be in person for most of the year last year and the kids are used to masks. They’ll do it if they have to but it’s the parents that are the big complainers. Adding to that, people just found out last week when schedules went out that they are not offering a K-3 virtual option this year. They said it is based on a survey they put out last spring that there wasn’t enough interest. Well a lot has changed since last spring! Parents are now pulling their kids and searching for openings at public cyber schools. I can only imagine what will happen with no masks in buildings where no kids are vaccinated as our local cases increase.

My kids did the district cyber plan last year and while it wasn’t always ideal, we made it work. We were planning on them going back this year after being cashed and with the impression there would still be masks and other safety measures in place. Now it feels like we will just be waiting for shut downs or quarantines.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[smilequeen]

So school has started in some places, correct? A few friends in other states have already seen their kids quarantined (without safety precautions in place).

We have them, and a lot of schools in my county (especially immediate area) still have mask mandates in place. But the outskirts get less and less conscientious as you get farther out in the burbs. I imagine if it all goes to **** in the first few weeks, they’ll have to backpedal fast.

[ArizonaGirl]

We started July 29th and cases are going up and up and up.

Our daily positive number is around the highest is ever been and its like the Governor just wants to carry on like there is no public health crisis.

I'm appalled and worried about my 8 year old, but paralyzed because we have no online flex option. It's either all online or all in person. So I would have to pull her and un-enroll her from her current school and enroll her in the online school. It's not easy to switch back and forth.

[mmsmom]

In NC: public school system will require masks. There has been a virtual option for many years and this year is available for grades 3 and up. We are in private school which 2 weeks ago said masks optional for vaccinated but today got the expected change that they are now required for all. We do not have a virtual option but they also said today there will be an option for those having to quarantine.

A private school in next county had a vaccine mandate for all eligible but 50% claimed a religious exemption. School had to close in first week due to an outbreak. They now took away religious exemption and are only allowing medical exemptions. This is a K-8 school so most students are too young for vaccine anyway. It is a Christian based school and I heard an interview with the head of school and he was genuinely surprised at the number of exemption requests.

I am just extremely grateful that my family is old enough to be vaccinated and after masking last year at school my kids don’t think twice about it.

[klwa]

NC here. Our county's school system just voted last night to require masks at all times, including for sports. The county where my father is a school board member and 1 niece is still in school just voted last night to make masks optional. I tried to talk my dad out of that idea, but just got "This is how the others are going to vote." But, my niece is going to early college high school, so if the community college requires that they be masked, she'll be required to mask. Daddy has said he fully expects the governor to step in & make it required across the state before August 23, the official start date for most of the school systems. That's one of the reasons he wasn't willing to raise a fuss with the other members of his board.