Schools await guidance on face masks

School is still a few weeks away but, for parents planning the annual shopping trip for classroom equipment, whether or not there will be a need for face coverings has come into question. While the pandemic remains ongoing and state-level guidance continues to change, Superintendent Mark Broderson says it’s not possible to be sure whether students will need to wear masks, or how much of the day they may need to wear them for.

“The district will follow recommendations from Public Health based on current cases and trends in the communities,” he says. “If masks are required, they will be for short periods of time while social distancing is impractical.  Students will not be wearing masks the majority of the time.” 

At this time, he says, Crook County School District’s (CCSD) reopening plan is recommending face coverings if social distancing is not practical. The district is not, however, requiring them.

“This is a decision that will be made for us and we must comply with state guidelines if we wish to keep our doors open, which we do,” Broderson says. “We will do what we need to do to teach kids.”

There is concern at both ends of the debate as to whether students should wear face coverings. At this time, says the superintendent, “the way the recommendations read, they are part of the plan.”

“We don’t foresee students having them on much of the day, it will just depend on specific circumstances throughout the day,” he says. “We will do our best to keep students six feet apart and practice good hygiene habits throughout the day.”  

Under what circumstances a face covering would be required or recommended, and the age groups to which this would apply, will depend on state and county health department recommendations. Crook County Public Health is involved in the planning process, Broderson says, and has been very helpful to work with.

The superintendent reiterates that CCSD has been actively working on its back-to-school plan for several weeks with the goal of opening the doors this fall to welcome students back. The plan will need to meet the requirements of the Wyoming Department of Education and the Wyoming Department of Health, which are still changing as the pandemic progresses.

The district will be hosting informational meetings in each community at the beginning of August to share the completed plan. Until that time, nothing can be set in stone and some recommendations will likely continue to change over the coming weeks.

In a letter sent out to parents, the district stresses that the community’s children are valued and the aim is to provide a quality education for them.

“We believe the best method of teaching students is with teachers and students in the classroom and will do everything we can to ensure we are able to provide this instruction in the fall,” the letter says.