GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Older students in the Green Bay school district still to have the option to wear face masks, while younger ones still need to wear them in most circumstances.
The district’s board of education made the decisions during a special meeting Monday night. The meeting took place one day after the board held a listening session regarding masks in schools for the upcoming academic year.
The board’s decision included requiring masks for students in grades 3K-6, staff, visitors and contractors while inside buildings. The decision also recommends but does not require masks for grades 7 and above. Masks are optional for everyone while outside.
Green Bay school board president Eric Vanden Heuvel advocated for lifting some masking restrictions.
“Even as we learn about the new variant, hospitalization rates in children are not increasing, the impact of COVID-19 on children is significantly less than other populations, and that’s something the science is clear on.”
However, board member Brenda Warren has concerns about the spread of the Delta variant.
“I think by requiring masks in schools where they have kids that have had no opportunity to be vaccinated, we can decrease the risk of kids being quarantined…I know that COVID is not as dangerous for children, I know they aren’t dying from COVID, but I do know that they can spread COVID.”
Parent Melissa Stitz tells FOX 11 she was hoping the board would allow for parental choice when it comes to masking.
“At the end of the day, hospitalizations are not continuing to go up. We have to continue to focus on our local numbers here in Brown County that continue to stay low. That’s with summer school, that’s with pools open, gyms open.”
During Sunday’s listening session, some community members asked for stricter masking restrictions.
“We don’t always know when we are infected so this is precisely why the unvaccinated need them. The CDC guidance clearly states only vaccinated people are safe to unmask. It does not say anyone vaccine-eligible is safe to unmask,” community member Kaili Kirch said.
Masks are also to be worn in accordance with federal requirements for district transportation and with WIAA requirements for WIAA events.
If the COVID-19 infection rates for the student and staff population reach 1% for five consecutive days, masks will be required until the rate falls below 0.2%.
The policies take effect August 17th.
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