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BC Schools to relax mask mandate

With a continued drop in the number of Covid-19 cases locally and across the state, several Kentucky school districts are reevaluating their policies regarding the wearing of facemasks in school. Butler County Schools is one of those districts and will be implementing a "Unmasked While Seated" policy beginning Monday, October 25, as long as students are seated and socially distanced at least three feet. Students will still be required to mask while moving. The change will be in effect through Friday, November 5, and will be evaluated at this time. Per federal and state regulations, students will still be required to mask on school buses and at the Butler County Area Technology Center. 

Superintendent Robert Tuck communicated the change in policy regarding masks in an email to staff on Friday afternoon. According to Tuck, the district has been in conversation with multiple stakeholders with the primary goal being to maximize in-person instruction for students.

Below is Mr. Tuck's full statement regarding the upcoming change in mask policy for the the school district:

"With the recent legislation moving the decision of masking to the local level, the Butler County School District has taken several steps to review our current practices. Within these steps, we have engaged in conversation with our public, staff members, medical professionals, and the health department in the decision making process with regards to masking. We have also reviewed state data as well as our current data in regards to positives and quarantines within our district as well as the trend line for this data," said Tuck. "The driving force behind these decisions has been the same as it has been all along, the desire to maximize in-person instruction for our students while minimizing quarantines which disrupt our student’s education as well as the schedules of their caregivers."

"With the knowledge that we will likely be dealing with COVID for the foreseeable future, we have sought to be strategic in collecting data to determine the effectiveness and impact of our mitigation efforts while allowing for flexibility in response to changes which might occur. Through the information gleaned, the Butler County School System will move to Unmasked While Seated and socially distanced at least 3 feet within our schools beginning 10/25/21 through 11/5/21. Staff or students who choose to stay masked may do so. This will allow the Butler County School System to monitor the trend of data in regards to positive cases in both our schools and county in order to make further decisions in regards to mitigation efforts within our district over this two week period. Due to federal and state regulations out of the district’s control, buses and our Area Technology Center will remain masked until those regulations are lifted."

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