When St. Joseph students return to school September 7, they’ll be wearing masks in school buildings. The St. Joseph Board of Education voted 6-0 Monday night to support Supt. Jennifer Fee’s recommendation to ‘mask up’.
Board President Barry Conybeare said the Board is simply following the science.
“The masking requirement follows the recommendations of the MDHHS, BCHD, CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics for schools to require universal masking regardless of community transmission level or vaccination status. The Board of Education members and Superintendent are not doctors or public health officials, and thus, we must turn to the medical experts to guide us in doing what is best for our students, staff, and each other.”
Supt. Fee told the Board that requiring masks will give students the best opportunity for a stable learning environment in the classroom.
“We know that in-person learning is the most optimal learning environment for students. The decision to recommend a masking requirement for all students, staff, volunteers, and visitors inside SJPS facilities, is an educational decision to maximize the likelihood of in-person instruction for every student and to provide the conditions for our students to experience a normal school year to the greatest extent possible, which they so deserve after a year and a half of remote/hybrid learning, and limitations and cancellations of events and activities.”
