The Batesville School District (BSD) said Tuesday morning it will continue to maintain the mask use protocol on all campuses through the end of the spring semester. This comes from BSD Assistant Superintendent David Campbell. Campbell is also the district’s COVID-19 point of contact.
Campbell said in a statement that despite Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s announcement last week that he would not renew the statewide mask mandate that expired at the end of March, the district discussed the continuation of the mask mandate at Monday’s Batesville School Board’s meeting. School districts, private businesses, and medical facilities may still require patrons to wear masks as a preventative measure against the spread of COVID-19 under the state’s revised guidelines.
“District stakeholders, including representatives from the faculty personnel policy committee, BSD Ready for Learning Committee, district leadership, our local medical community, and the BSD nursing staff were involved in the discussion,” Campbell said.
It was agreed that continuing to follow the mask-use protocol was in “the best interest of students and staff,” Campbell said.
The district has reported four consecutive weeks of having zero self-reported cases of COVID-19 and currently has only one reported positive case.
“This positive message is a reflection of the dedication by our teachers and building administrators of following strict COVID-19 guidance; our custodial maintenance, transportation, and food service departments acting to keep safe standards; and our families and students practicing the 3Ws of wearing masks, washing hands, and watching distance,” said Campbell.
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