It’s official: Face masks and COVID vaccines won’t be required at Wichita schools
Wichita students and teachers will not be required to wear face masks or get a COVID-19 vaccination during the next academic year.
The Board of Education for Wichita Public Schools on Wednesday reviewed the USD 259 reopening plan, but took no formal action. The board previously delegated COVID operational decisions to the superintendent.
“Current data and public health recommendations, as well as feedback from stakeholders, lead us to masks being optional for all,” said Superintendent Alicia Thompson, noting that district survey feedback had opinion on all sides of the mask debate. The mask requirement in district facilities will end July 6.
“We will strongly encourage that students, parents and employees get their COVID vaccine,” she said.
The COVID operating plan for 2021-22 is available online at www.usd259.org/WPSadvance. While the plan is official, it may undergo amendments, especially related to COVID-19 protocols, district officials said.
Board President Stan Reeser said the plan provides a “solid starting point” for the school year.
“What we are trying to do is balance the stakeholders’ input and extreme attention to safety details and COVID protocol, directives from the state Legislature, and this combined effort will lead to a pre-COVID attempt to open the schools as normal as possible.”
Board member Ernestine Kriehbel asked why masks won’t be required for children under age 12, who are not currently eligible to be vaccinated. Thompson said the decision was based public health guidance and disease transmission data for children ages 11 and younger.
Board member Ben Blankley, mentioning his 6-year-old child, asked about the potential for quarantines due to COVID-19 cases among students who are too young to be vaccinated.
“My concern is that quarantine is probably going to be disruptive for parents and families,” Blankley said, noting the lack of federal COVID leave. “If our goal is to try to keep kids in classrooms, which I think we all agree is the best place for them ... then I’d hate to be in a situation where we send entire classrooms out on quarantine and disrupt a bunch of peoples livelihoods again just because we decided particular pandemic precautions were unpopular with some people.”
Dr. Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, has said that public health experts will likely recommend mask requirements in schools.
“Our guidance will remain that unvaccinated persons should wear masks,” Norman said earlier this month. “So we will still have the same recommendations for distancing and mask wearing, until which time we can vaccinate children. There will be a lot of pressure, and I think we will end up with an odd patchwork quilt throughout the state of Kansas.”
Currently in Kansas, the 11-13 and 14-17 age groups have COVID case rates higher than the statewide rate for all ages, according to Kansas Department of Health and Environment data. In Sedgwick County, the 5-10, 11-13 and 14-17 age groups all have higher case rates than the countywide rate for all ages.
The district’s final report for the past school year showed more students contracted the coronavirus after Christmas than before. However, fewer school staff got sick after the holiday break than in the prior months.
As of May 28, WPS reported confirmed COVID-19 cases in 1,144 staff and 957 students during the 2020-21 school year. As of the Dec. 23 report, 753 staff and 450 students had been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Thompson said district officials will continue to monitor public health data and guidance.
“Should adjustments to our plan be required, we will bring our pandemic leadership team back together to recommend adjustments,” she said.
County-level mask mandates saved at least 500 lives between July and December, researchers at the University of Kansas have found.
Thompson promised a continued focus on health and safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. Quarantines may be enforced, staying home when sick will be emphasized, cleaning supplies will be provided, sanitation and hand washing will be expected and other healthy habits will be advised. The district will provide vaccination clinics and COVID-19 testing.
“I can assure you that we will have a full array of protocols to guide our work,” she said.
The district is also working to provide remote learning if illness requires students to stay at home. Virtual learning will continue to be offered through Education Image Academy, but MySchool Remote will not be allowed under state rules.
Learning priorities will focus on the emotional well-being of students and staff, as well as academic support to overcome learning loss.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has indicated that all students will be able to eat regular school meals at no cost during the academic year. No remote food distribution sites are planned. Breakfast will be served in classrooms at all elementary sites, and the district is planning a second chance breakfast for middle and high schools.
“The past year has taught us two things: students are better off in school, and the community does better when kids are in schools,” said Greg Jones, representing United Teachers of Wichita and Kansas National Education Association. “We’re looking forward to getting back to normal, just like everybody else is.”
This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 1:39 PM.