The Mid-Prairie School District has made changes to their mask and quarantine policies, according to a statement from Superintendent Mark Schneider. The Mid-Prairie School Board met in special session Sunday, changing an updated policy passed on April 19th that the voluntary or mandatory usage of masks in each building in the district would be tied to that building’s student absentee rate. Now, the district will follow guidance issued by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) last week that provides parents and students the sole responsibility of determining whether or not a student will wear a mask at school. Also, the district will no longer make the student absentee rate public and they will not use that data in determining mask usage. Students may continue to voluntarily wear masks. Masks will remain mandatory while students are on school buses, as the policy for masks on conveyances from the IDPH has not changed.
Changes to quarantining includes students exposed to a COVID-19 individual no longer have to quarantine regardless of mask usage. Schneider reiterates in his statement that he requests parents continue to monitor their children for symptoms and keep them home if they become sick. Mid-Prairie’s last day of school is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2nd.