Universal masking will remain in effect at Owensboro and Daviess County Public Schools, as well as Owensboro Catholic Schools. The announcements came Friday after the Kentucky legislature voted late Thursday night to move the decision back to each district rather than have them be subject to a statewide requirement.
Senate Bill 1 prioritizes in-person learning at public schools while shifting decisions about COVID-19 protocols to locally-elected school boards, including whether students should wear a mask.
After the Kentucky General Assembly overrode a veto from Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday, the bill took effect immediately. School districts have five business days until the mandate is officially voided, giving local officials a short time to decide upon their own requirements.
A statement posted to Facebook by OPS officials Friday morning reads, in part:
“To keep students and staff safe and keep our schools open for in-person instruction, universal masking will remain in effect for Owensboro Public Schools. We first communicated this expectation in early August, prior to actions taken by the governor and state board of education.
At this time, the mask requirement includes everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Masking and other safety protocols in our district limit the number of student and staff quarantines and reduce the spread of COVID-19. These measures allow the safe continued operation of our schools.
As we mentioned in August, we will continue to monitor the community positivity rate and potentially explore other options as it becomes safe to do so. This is another important reminder to get the vaccine as well to help us reach the point where we can consider removing mask requirements in our district.”
A statement sent to Owensboro Times from an OCS official Friday morning reads:
“We notified our families last week that we will remain masking for the foreseeable future. We know from experience that masking cuts down on COVID transmission as well as other viruses. Once Covid rates in our community start to improve, we will reassess our masking mandate.”
DCPS Superintendent Matt Robbins issued a statement Friday afternoon saying their district will continue to require universal masking with a plan to re-evaluate their status by Oct. 22.
His statement reads, in part:
“Our district communicated its plan to require universal masking on Aug. 3 — well ahead of orders from the Kentucky Department of Education and the governor’s office requiring all school districts to do so. Since the start of the school year, we have had the opportunity to evaluate our experience with required masking and compare that to school districts elsewhere that have operated with optional masking.
We have seen clear evidence that without masking, our quarantine numbers would be at least twice our current rates (approximately 4.2% of students, 2.1% staff) — perhaps even higher. This is due to the quarantine requirement of 3 feet (with masking) versus 6 feet (without masking). Quite simply, without masking, many more students are removed from in-person school. To this point, approximately 40 districts have closed in Kentucky; fortunately, DCPS has yet to close a single classroom, school or the district.
Our goal — which we know is shared by parents, guardians and all members of our community — is to continue to provide in-person teaching and learning with a minimum of disruptions, including quarantines, classroom/school closures and alternative schedules. We believe masking and vaccinations for eligible individuals have been key elements in achieving this goal.”
