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(September 2, 2021 10:11 PM)  Jackson Public Schools has announced a mask mandate will be in effect starting with the resumption of classes next week.  Following the Labor Day holiday, all staff, students, and visitors will be required to wear masks while in any JPS building or attending a JPS indoor sponsored event regardless of their vaccination status.

Superintendent Jeff Beal announced the policy will be in effect for the month of September.  From Superintendent Beal:

“We are off and running in the 2021/2022 school year and there is no greater joy for JPS than to have our students and staff back into the buildings. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is affecting our schools on a daily basis. Although our COVID-19 positivity rate is under 1% for the entire district including staff and students, our rate of precautionary quarantines for close contacts has reached a critical number.
Our current Mask Optional Policy that follows the Jackson County Health Department protocols, where we strongly recommend masks and require that all unvaccinated students or staff who are identified as a close contact (within 6 feet of an affected person, mask or no mask) must quarantine for 10 days. If students or staff are vaccinated they do not need to quarantine. Unfortunately, our vaccination rate among students is less than 10% so virtually everyone needs to quarantine. In review of the above protocols, it is clear that we cannot continue to provide the level of learning needed when so many of our students are out of the building on precautionary quarantine.
 
“It is for that reason that JPS is issuing a Mask Mandate for all staff and students regardless of vaccination status for the month of September. This Mask Mandate will begin when we return to school on Tuesday, September 7, 2021. All staff, students, and visitors will be required to wear masks while in any JPS building or attending a JPS indoor sponsored event regardless of their vaccination status. Students who are involved in sports will also be required to wear masks when not engaging in physical activity. Make no mistake, wearing masks is our strongest defense in preventing large numbers of precautionary quarantines that lead to students missing school for extended periods of time.
 
“Going forward, JPS will continue to assess each positive case. All students and staff will be informed if they have been in close contact with a positive case and given the option to precautionary quarantine for ten days. If you choose not to precautionary quarantine, you may remain in school unless you are not feeling well, are symptomatic, or awaiting a COVID-19 test result.
 
“As your Superintendent, it is my personal hope that we can come together as a district and wear our masks properly to help keep COVID-19 positive and quarantines to a minimum. I cannot stress enough that if you or your child are not feeling well, are awaiting a COVID-19 test result, are symptomatic, and/or are in close contact with a positive individual….PLEASE STAY HOME. If you do not, you are putting our district students and staff at risk. Keep in mind that your students and our staff are only in our buildings for seven hours a day, and we strongly recommend that mask wearing continue outside of school as well to help mitigate positive cases.
 
“During this Mask Mandate period we will be monitoring outcomes and the levels of COVID-19 in our community and will reassess and pivot or retain our Mask Policy as needed.”
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