Jefferson City School District to decide on mask requirement on Monday

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

According to the Jefferson City School District website, the district is set to decide on whether or not to require masks for the upcoming school year on Monday.

The district previously released its return to school plan in early August but chose to hold off on a final decision on masks due to rising COVID-19 cases.

According to the Missouri Public Health COVID-19 Dashboard, the state has averaged nearly 2,000 new daily confirmed cases within the past seven days.

In the district's return plan for the upcoming school year, which starts next Monday, JC Schools outlined the importance of social distancing, hand-washing, staying home when sick, and the importance of wearing a mask and getting vaccinated. It states in most cases, individuals who are wearing a mask properly or vaccinated will not be required to quarantine if they come in contact with a positive case and are asymptomatic.

The district says for the last two weeks of summer school it was able to drop its mask mandate and hoped to continue this into the fall, but due to the rising cases, it held back on a final decision.

The district says it is consulting the health department and other schools in the area when making its final decision on masks.

Recently, Columbia Public Schools decided to require masks for students for the upcoming school year. The CPS measure takes effect Monday.

At this time, JC Schools will not be requiring masks or have any restrictions on outdoor activities including athletics. The policy says the district could change this rule depending on the COVID-19 cases in the area.

Masks will be required for all students and staff on buses, regardless of a student's vaccination status, per the CDC.

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