by Mike Knaak
news@thenewsleaders.com
All students and staff will be required to wear masks in the Sartell-St. Stephen school district when school opens. The mask requirement affects pre-kindergarten through high school seniors and staff, regardless of vaccination status, indoors during the school day.
The school board on Aug. 16 voted 4-2 to adopt the plan after a long discussion and comments from the public.
All students will return to in-person learning five days a week. There will not be a distance learning option offered this school year.
Current requirements, including face coverings on school transportation and reporting of positive cases to the Minnesota Department of Health will continue.
The district may change the requirements for masking based on the amount of Covid-19 virus spread in the district. The district will consider several factors including the state positive test rate, Stearns County positivity rate, Stearns County positive cases, district positive cases, school positive cases, and Stearns County and district vaccination rates, according to the plan.
If masking requirements change, the district will communicate the change in a Thursday communication (first one on Sept. 2), which will be effective the following week.
For extracurricular activities and visitors outside the school day, masks are strongly encouraged for all students and staff, especially for those who are not vaccinated, but will not be required except for on school buses.
The safe learning plan includes, but is not limited to, the following details for school operations:
• Students will return to normal bus capacity and procedures, except for the federal requirement for face coverings on public transportation. Six feet of physical distance will be maintained between drivers and riders.
• Free breakfast and lunch will be provided daily to all students as a result of federal funding. Regular meal service will return to all sites.
• Visitors and volunteers admittance will be allowed per current Minnesota Department of Health recommendations and must be planned and pre-approved by the building principal. There may be a transition period at the start of the school year to allow visitors into the buildings during the school day.
Board members Amanda Byrd, Matt Moehrle, Jason Nies and Board Chair Jeremy Snoberger voted in favor of the requirement. Board members Patrick Marushin and Tricia Meling voted against it.
