Students and staff must wear masks indoors for the upcoming school year, Elmwood Park school officials announced.
The mask mandate is a state decision and aligns with federal Centers for Disease Control guidance. The mandate is part of COVID-19 mitigation efforts as cases again surge nationally while state and federal officials continue to prioritize a return to full in-person learning for students.
District 401 is continuing to promote vaccinations for students aged 12 and up. The district hosted a vaccination event Aug. 5 that aligned with high school orientation. Gauthier said that about 30 individuals participated. Another vaccination event is planned for Aug. 12 at Elm Middle School from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
“The reaction from staff and parents has been that they are grateful we are taking steps to keep everyone safe,” District 401 Superintendent Leah Gauthier said. “Even if they do not fully agree with all of the mitigation measures, they understand why we are doing it.”
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, if an unvaccinated student has close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19, they face the possibility of a two-week quarantine period. Gauthier said District 401 is offering rapid tests to limit potential outbreaks and, hopefully, reduce the need to quarantine students.
Some mitigation measures have been reduced compared to last school year. For example, last year schools were required to maintain six feet of social distancing. That has been reduced to three feet, Gauthier said.
“The standard is three feet when feasible,” she said. “If a school is unable to maintain three feet for a classroom, it should not be considered a barrier to kids going to school.”
Gauthier noted that the COVID-19 situation is fluid and that guidance from the state and CDC had been changed eight times in the last two-and-a-half weeks.
Most recently, CDC’s COVID-19 guidance for schools stated, “Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in the fall 2021 is a priority.
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“Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.”