Task force recommends schools keep masks

BENTONVILLE — A School District task force agreed students and staff members should continue to wear masks through the end of this school year, even if Gov. Asa Hutchinson rescinds the state’s mask mandate.

The Reopening Task Force met Tuesday to talk about practices the schools have adopted during the covid-19 pandemic, with masks being the focus of the discussion.

The School Board likely will vote at its meeting Tuesday on whether to accept the group’s mask recommendation.

Hutchinson last week lifted almost all of the Department of Health’s directives aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus but kept the mask mandate until at least March 31.

Hutchinson said he’d lift the requirement for Arkansans to wear masks in public places if, by March 31, less than 10% of the state’s coronavirus tests are positive over a rolling seven-day period and at least 7,500 tests are being conducted each day.

Whatever the School Board decides wouldn’t override Hutchinson’s mask order if it remains in place, said Leslee Wright, district director of communications.

Steve Goss, president of Mercy Clinic Northwest Arkansas and the task force chairman, urged people to remain cautious when it comes to covid-19.

“Covid is still with us,” Goss said. “We’re dealing with it a lot better, and we’ve got it on the run, but it’s not gone away completely.”

People should continue to wear masks, wash their hands and maintain social distancing, he said, adding variants of the disease could cause problems.

Lisa Low, medical director of community health at Mercy Hospital, agreed.

“The message should be from us, just keep it up, you’re doing great, keep those masks on until the end of the school year,” Low said.

Eric White, president of the School Board, expressed concern about not seeing an “exit strategy” from the covid-19 restrictions.

“We’re all concerned that we could see a spike in cases, and we don’t want that,” White said. “But the fact is we have a low amount of cases now and we’re still hesitating to do anything different with masks. So what will June or July look like differently that causes us to have a different discussion?”

Low said a much higher percentage of people vaccinated will be the main difference. White noted 70% of the district’s employees already have been vaccinated.

Holly Howard, a Bentonville High School teacher, said the only consistent thing about this school year has been the mask requirement, and many teachers want to retain it.

The task force consists of a dozen people including medical professionals, district employees and a parent.