The Ignacio School District will not require masks to be worn on school buses when school starts Monday, a violation of a federal order.
The school district’s return-to-school plan encourages students to wear face coverings on buses. The federal order, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, requires masking on buses in districts across the United States. The district might discuss the policy during its Board of Education meeting Sept. 9, two weeks after school starts, said Superintendent Chris deKay.
“I’m going to continue to talk with the board about it, and the need for it to be on the agenda,” deKay said. “The current plan has already been approved by the board so any change to that plan is going to have to come through them.”
Bayfield School District also started the school year earlier this week by flouting the order. A split school board vote Tuesday night brought the district into compliance.
San Juan Basin Public Health has issued a formal advisory recommending school districts require masks in schools. Advisories are the strongest recommendation the health agency can make without issuing an order.
Durango School District 9-R decided to require masks in schools, a controversial choice in the district. It is also following the federal order to require masks on buses. Bayfield recommends masks in schools and now requires them on buses.
Ignacio suggests wearing masks when social distancing cannot be achieved. The district’s transportation plan does not require masks on school buses. It expects parents to take their child’s temperature before leaving the house, according to the district’s plan.
Students must sit two per seat on the school bus and are not allowed to change seats while riding the bus. Those who live in the same residence will be asked to sit together.
The district’s plan was approved by the school board in June when COVID-19 case rates were less concerning, deKay said.
“We approved it knowing it was a flexible document,” he said. “As delta started to take hold, we understood the landscape might shift.”
The federal order, issued by the CDC, went into effect Feb. 1. It requires masks on all public transport options with some exceptions, such as for eating, health issues and identification purposes.
The school districts all received guidance from the Colorado Department of Education, which included clear information about the CDC order for face coverings on buses, said Chandler Griffin, SJBPH spokesman.
“The districts are expected to comply,” he said. “We are currently looking into how this would be enforced, as the CDC order is outside of SJBPH’s regulatory sphere.”
DeKay said the district school board was aware of the compliance issue. No special meeting has been scheduled to discuss the policy.
“We’ve met extensively,” he said. “They (board members) see the landscape shifting. I don’t know if they want that on the agenda for the next board meeting or not.”
The school district emphasized keeping safety protocols in place to maintain in-person learning. But masking is a divisive subject in the district, and nationwide, he said.
“Quite honestly there’s just a lot of divisiveness in the country right now, and both sides are very emotional about their perspective,” deKay said. “We’re doing our best to navigate those waters and bring kids back to school in person.”
SJBPH was “surprised” to hear local school districts were not in compliance with the order.
SJBPH has advised school districts on in-person learning policies related to COVID-19, such as quarantining and isolation, testing and other public health precautions; however, the districts are no longer required to submit their plans to SJBPH for review and approval, Griffin said.
“We continue to work closely with the districts to ensure their school environments are as safe as possible,” he said. “The deepest dives occur on the matters we need to actively collaborate with the districts on, like contact tracing, for example. But it is the school district’s responsibility to follow the CDE guidance, including CDC orders contained therein.”
smullane@durangoherald.com
