Several northwest Iowa school districts now have mask mandates in place after the state relaxed its quarantine guidelines.
Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District is requiring students and staff in grades seven through 12 to wear masks in classrooms where they can’t social distance.
Superintendent James Craig says there’s been very little pushback.
OC………..”quarantined at home” :13
Sibley-Ocheyedan tightened its social distancing measures late in September.
Craig says with a mask requirement, the district can have all students in its classrooms safely.
The West Lyon Community School District in Inwood now requires masks for students and staff in grades seven through 12 when they can’t social distance.
Superintendent Shawn Kreman says before this, a couple students had already quarantined twice because of close contacts.
OC………”really quickly” :11
Kreman says the district is requiring masks in upper grades only because it’s harder to spread those students at least six feet apart.
Unlike elementary kids, those students also move to several classrooms throughout the day.
The Iowa Department of Public Health’s new guidance says people in schools don’t have to quarantine if they were wearing masks properly while in close contact with an infected person who was also wearing a mask.
Katie Peikes IPR
