St. Joseph Public Schools Drops Mask Rule

sjhighschool-22
sjhighschool-22

St. Joseph Public Schools has dropped the district’s mask rule. In a letter to parents Thursday, Superintendent Jenny Fee said with the state and county withdrawing mask recommendations for schools, masks will no longer be required at St. Joe, effective Friday. The requirement to wear a mask while on a school bus remains in effect per a CDC order. Fee writes a decline in positive cases among staff, students, and the community at large, greater vaccine access and rates, natural immunity, a less severe Omicron variant also all contribute to the decision to withdraw the mask rule. For now, the district will continue to notify parents if their child is identified as a close contact due to exposure at school of a COVID-19 positive person. However, at this time, close contacts can remain in school as long as the person is free of COVID symptoms.