The Mid-Prairie School Board heard the voices  of parents, staff, and community members and made their final decision on which learning method to implement for the upcoming school year. Golden Hawks will return to school full time with face coverings required.

The board held a special public forum Monday night where members of the community were welcomed to express their comments and concerns about the upcoming school year. In total, 22 spoke in one hour’s time. Many told the board about heightened anxiety among their children, the need to return to school full time, in-person learning, and the difficulties from the past school year.

After the public forum, each board member read a prepared statement, citing concerns with fulfilling student and staff mental health needs and different health guidelines to enforce, including face-covering requirements. The board unanimously voted in favor of returning to full-time, on-site learning starting August 24. And they voted 4-2 in favor of mandatory face coverings, including masks and shields.

The board will hold another public forum on September 28 to revisit the mandatory face-covering requirement and make adjustments if necessary.