Bismarck School District Mask Update October 19, 2021
MASK STATUS UPDATE
Good evening,
I hope everyone had a great night of parent/teacher conferences! I wanted to let you know that effective tomorrow, October 20, 2021, Bismarck School District’s mask status will return to “highly recommended.” If at any time the District reaches a total of 75 Quarantine and/or Isolated (+) Students, Faculty, and Staff, we will return to the status of a “mask mandate” for all students, faculty, and staff. This is in order to ensure the safety of everyone on campus.
Based on new Quarantine guidelines released by the Governor today, the definition of a close contact in a school setting has changed from within 6 feet for 15 minutes to within 3 feet for 15 minutes. As a school district, we are required to follow all Quarantine and Isolation guidelines. Quarantine is intended to stop the spread of COVID-19 after you have been exposed to the virus that causes COVID. The CDC/ADH/DESE provides no flexibility in regards to following these guidelines. We have worked diligently for months seeking assistance from the Governor and the ADH, who are the governing bodies in Arkansas when it comes to COVID guidelines, in hopes of seeing a move from 6 feet to 3 feet. Although the mask status may be changing, all Quarantine and Isolation guidelines will continue to be strictly adhered to.
Although the mask mandate will revert to “highly recommended” tomorrow, just a reminder that vaccination eliminates the need for quarantine. Also, if both the close contact and positive case are masked, there is no need to quarantine so masking is always the safest alternative.
Our priority is to keep our students in school and to keep them safe! We have successfully kept our doors open throughout this pandemic and hope that by continuing to follow the safety protocols we already have in place, in addition to closely monitoring our mask protocol, all BSD students will continue to have a safe place to learn and grow.
Thank you,
Mrs. Kissire
