The John Glenn School Board members ratified updated COVID-19 protocols Tuesday night, but not before hearing from four community members about their concerns about the corporation’s protocol change pertaining to the requirement of masks.
Superintendent Christopher Winchell said the corporation moved from a recommended mask protocol to a mask requirement at the end of August.
“We felt obligated to make that change around August 30 when we had 24 positive cases district-wide to 40 cases district-wide over the weekend of August 28,” said Winchell. “We had a substantial number of close contacts as a result of those positive cases.”
It has always been a requirement for students and bus drivers to wear masks on the bus due to a federal mandate.
Winchell noted that Governor Eric Holcomb’s new Executive Order states that schools will no longer be required to send students home for close contact quarantining if everyone is properly wearing a mask.
Winchell commented that he and the school board members are watching data every day to keep up with trends and may adjust the protocol when appropriate.
