The Daviess County and Owensboro public schools boards of education, as well as the Owensboro Catholic Schools system, are collectively announcing their intentions to return to full, in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year. Masks will be optional for all students and staff, unless directly ordered by state officials.
“All three districts wanted to present a united front as students and staff return to in-person learning in each district’s buildings while providing information specific to each district and highlighting the importance of the vaccine in our community to those who are able to receive it,” according to a joint statement from the school systems.
Each school district has developed their own individual reopening plan that can be found below as well on various communication outlets for each district.
- Daviess County Public Schools 2021-22 Reopening Plan
- Owensboro Public Schools 2021-22 Reopening Plan
- Owensboro Catholic Schools 2021-22 Reopening Plan (will be released to stakeholders next week)
However, one thing that is universal across all districts is the individual, personal choice for mask wearing.
“Masks will be optional for all students and staff at all school functions during the upcoming school year unless directly ordered by Gubernatorial or Presidential Executive Order, the Kentucky Department of Public Health, the Kentucky Department of Education or local Health Department,” the joint release reads. “It is strongly encouraged that unvaccinated individuals wear masks when around others.”
Many other COVID-19 procedures relating to cleaning, sanitizing, visitation and more are outlined in each school district’s individual reopening plans.
“All three districts understand that no matter the decision on mask wearing in the school buildings, there would be a number of people that would disagree with the decision that was made,” the release reads. “However, each district is committed to monitoring COVID-19 cases in the community and making adjustments to this policy as necessary to assist in mitigating the spread of the virus.”
The release continues, “The Owensboro community has one of the higher vaccination rates in the Commonwealth, and the school districts continue to work with local health officials to provide vaccine clinics and encourage the community to get the COVID vaccine, if you haven’t already, to help achieve herd immunity and limit the potential for interruptions to the school year. As the vaccine becomes available to individuals under the age of 12, school districts will communicate opportunities for those individuals to receive the vaccine. This could come as early as September of this year.”
