As school year enters its final week, local school districts lift mask requirements in response to most recent IDPH guidance
As of Monday, May 17 both the Allamakee Community School District (ACSD) and the Eastern Allamakee Community School District (EACSD) are no longer requiring the wearing of masks by students or staff in their school buildings. Those decisions were announced this past weekend by each district’s Superintendent in released statements following Iowa Department of Public Health guidance issued Friday, May 14 that was based on a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announcement Thursday, May 13 that those fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks outdoors nor in many indoor settings.
The guidelines, recommendations and decisions made by State of Iowa and local school officials remained in place despite the CDC further clarifying its mask wearing recommendations Saturday, May 15, still recommending that masks should be worn in schools through the end of the school year because vaccination of school-aged youth has only just begun and a vast majority of students are not yet vaccinated. In a letter issued to school districts and child care centers by Iowa Departments of Public Health (IDPH) and Human Services (DHS) Director Kelly Garcia Friday, May 14, she stated, “while we acknowledge that some parents may want their child to continue to wear a cloth face covering for reasons that make sense for their family or that child’s individual health condition, we urge schools and child care settings to provide parents and students with the option to make their own decision about mask usage.”
That letter further notes that the Iowa Department of Public Health has “adjusted its guidance to recommend that schools and childcare settings approach COVID-19 like other child illnesses.” The letter went on to further explain how school districts and child care centers should adjust their approach based on IDPH’s recommendation that “while COVID-19 positive and symptomatic children should be excluded, exposed children should no longer be required to stay home, regardless of mask usage. Moreover, when there is a positive case, parents should be given information around exposure to COVID-19 in order to make their own informed decisions regarding risk.”
Following that initial guidance recommendation by IDPH, ACSD Superintendent Jay Mathis released the following districtwide statement Saturday, May 15: “Effective immediately, per the new guidelines by the Iowa Department of Public Health, Department of Education and Department of Human Services, masks will no longer be required, but will be optional for students and staff. Further, students will not be quarantined due to exposure. Families may still keep kids home if they have been exposed and should keep their kids home when they are ill.”
Sunday, May 16 EACSD Superintendent Dr. Dale Crozier released the following announcement: “Effective Monday, and going forward, masks will no longer be required for students and staff. However, anyone who still wishes to wear a mask may do so, and you will be supported in that choice. Also, going forward, only those with a positive test (who actually have COVID-19) will need to quarantine. These changes are based on new guidelines from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Iowa Department of Education (DE).”
The 2020-2021 school years for both school districts come to a close within the next week’s time frame. The last day of classes listed on the Eastern Allamakee Community School District calendar is Tuesday, May 25. The last day of classes in the Allamakee Community School District is also listed on the school calendar as Tuesday, May 25.
