Mask mandate lifted for staff, students at PW
Estes says district will continue to take precautions as necessary
Wearing masks is now optional in the PalestineWheatley School District.
Meeting in special session Wednesday evening, board members agreed to allow students and staff to decide for themselves whether or not to wear face coverings.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson this week lifted the state’s mask mandate. Arkansas Department of Education officials said school boards in each of the state’s 262 districts could make the decision for students at the local levels.
During the meeting, PW Superintendent Jon Estes first recommended the board remove the mask mandate at the elementary school, which houses kindergarten through sixth grade students.
"The Pre-K has not had a mask mandate in effect during the pandemic. The elementary school has seen very little spread of the Covid-19 virus,” said Estes. “With that said, I recommend that we eliminate the mask mandate for kindergarten through sixth grades, both the students and the teachers. All of our teachers have had the option to be vaccinated if they wanted to be. Some have been vaccinated and some chose not to be. We will still take precautions, as necessary, and if students choose to wear a mask, they can.”
Estes also recommended the board remove the mask mandate for seventh and eighth grade students but keep it in place for students in ninth through 12th grades.
Board members failed to take action on Estes’s recommendations, choosing to first discuss the matter.
"I spoke with teachers, coaches and other staff for a very long time. Some were concerned about the issue. I asked them why they would be concerned if they had the opportunity to receive the vaccine," said Estes. "They told me they could still get the vaccine if they wanted to, but they could still get sick. If we think we are stopping them from anything when the only place they wear a mask is at school, which isn't properly all the time anyway, we are wrong.
“Just because we are lifting the mandate, doesn't mean they can't wear a mask,” Estes continued. “We will follow guidelines for large crowd functions such as prom and graduation. As far as baseball and softball games, people aren't
going to wear the masks outside. The governor said masks are still highly recommended, even though there is no mandate.
“I recommend we lift the mask mandate for seventh and eighth grades, keep them for ninth through 12th grades until after prom just to help ensure that they get to have prom,” said Estes.
Board member Jamie McCoy said it would not make sense to only lift the mandate on some of the students at the high school.
"I think that if we are going to eliminate the mandate on part of the students, we need to eliminate it on all of them," said McCoy. "Or, we keep the mandate in place for all of them."
"It is like they are living in the same house at school anyway," added board member Vernon Thweatt.
"I will make the recommendation that we lift the mandate altogether, allowing students the option of wearing a mask or not wearing one," said Estes. "I will also allow the teachers to decide if they want students to wear a mask in their classrooms or not."
Board members unanimously approved this recommendation.
In the Forrest City School District, Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Hardrick said masks would continue to be required until the board meets on April 15 to make a final decision.
The Wynne School Board voted during its March meeting to continue following mask protocols through the end of the current school year.