Crawford County classrooms could go mask-optional

CRAWFORD COUNTY, Ks. – Face masks in the classroom has been a contentious topic across the country, but the USD 250 school board has crafted a solution that hears the concerns of both sides.

“We’ve been working with the Crawford County Health Department and our health officer to come up with criteria so there’s a sound basis that if we do decide to go mask-optional, that it will be based on something that is vetted by KDHE and local data,” said USD 250 Superintendent Rich Proffitt.

Starting October 4th, Crawford County students have the option to go maskless if the following countywide requirements are met: Local hospitals must have space for COVID-19 patients, school absences caused by the Coronavirus must be under 3%, Crawford County’s case numbers must be stable or trending downward, and Crawford County must have 40 or fewer new COVID-19 cases per week.

“If we have more than 40 new cases a week, then it’s going to put more pressure on the hospital system and medical system, so that’s how we came up with 40 cases,” said Crawford County Health Department Director Teddi Van Kam.

Pittsburg High School freshman Blake Poznich says he thinks the new class mask option is a winner.

“I think it’s a really good option because some kids just hate the masks in general and they’d be happy to take them off. So I think it’d be a good choice in general, and there’s also an option for the people that want to wear their masks. They can still wear their masks,” said Poznich.

The new class mask policy goes into effect next week, but will the county have met the school board’s criteria to give students a mask option?

“We won’t make the official announcement before the end of the week, but the numbers are definitely trending that way,” said Van Kam.

Superintendent Proffitt also says he and other superintendents will meet with the Crawford County Health Department at the end of each week to discuss local data, and then let parents and students know if classes are mask-optional for the following week.

 

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