Face masks were quickly removed at the recent School Board meeting in Caldwell County. The Board of Education unanimously approved Face Coverings Policy that defines a metric that will be used to determine whether face masks are required or optional in schools. Based on this policy, face masks are now optional for students and staff effective immediately per Board action.
According to the face coverings policy, face masks will be optional whenever the COVID positivity rate for students and staff is 0.5 percent or less within a three-week rolling average. Currently, the school district positivity rate is 0.2 percent. In other words, 99.8 percent of the student and staff population has not tested positive or reported confirmed cases of COVID in the last three weeks.
Each week the total number of positive COVID cases among students and staff is calculated in a three-week average, and if that number exceeds 0.5 percent, then masks are required systemwide. The calculation is made weekly, which may affect the face covering status the following week. Parents will be notified on Fridays of the face mask status for the upcoming week. The information will be updated weekly on the school district’s website at caldwellschools.com.
Bus riders, however, should not expect to see any changes anytime soon on face mask requirements. By executive order of the federal government, students who ride a school bus are required to wear a face mask.
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