Mancos School District RE-6 Superintendent Todd Cordrey said masks will be optional will school starts Aug. 17.
“We feel like it’s important we meet the needs of all of our parents,” he told The Journal.
The school district is leaving the choice to parents whether to send their kids to school with masks — or to send them at all, he said. Students also may learn fully in-person or remotely.
Cordrey sent out a letter July 30 on procedures for the 2021-22 school year.
Cordrey recognizes the fast-changing nature of society in the wake of the pandemic, and that’s why the school year will launch with families free to navigate it as they see fit, he said.
“We will likely have imperfect information for years to come,” he said.
COVID-19 vaccines, as well as common mandatory vaccinations, will be offered Aug. 13 at the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new performing arts center. Future vaccination dates also will be scheduled.
The district also will offer on-campus virus testing and take-home testing kits.
Parents and visitors will be allowed in school buildings after completing a screening and symptom check.
Other precautions outlined in Cordrey’s letter include frequent cleansing of high-touch surfaces and providing instruction outside when possible.
Following the U.S. Department of Transportation’s federal mandate requiring the masking of travelers, students traveling by bus will be required to wear masks.
A student who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for seven days. They will be able to return to school after symptoms cease for at least 24 hours, the letter said.
The school nurse will notify students who have received significant exposure to COVID-19 from someone who tested positive at school. Those students won’t be barred from attending classes or other activities.
If 4% of a school is found to be virus-positive, the school will likely transition to remote learning for up to five days, the letter said.
The letter stated that protocol may be reevaluated if transmission or hospitalization rates soar.
“We’re in a terrific place to have a great year,” Cordrey said.
