ASHLAND — Masking in Ashland City Schools continues to be a choice — but now that choice will carry consequences.
Wearing a facial covering to curb the spread of COVID-19 and its variants on school grounds has been optional since June 2, but the practice is “highly recommended,” updated district protocols show.
The recommendation is based off the district’s new guidelines for quarantining after exposure to the coronavirus.
Put simply, you do not need to quarantine if:
• You have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
• You “consistently” wear a mask on school property.
You need to quarantine if:
• You have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.
• You do not wear a mask “consistently.”
District officials did not respond to questions seeking to clarify what wearing a mask “consistently” means. For more information on the district’s quarantine protocols, click here.
District officials will not require those exposed to the virus to prove vaccination status.
“We call them and ask them and expect them to be honest with us,” said Superintendent Doug Marrah.
Students and staff will not be required to wear masks while riding on school transportation vehicles.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order June 10 that recommended unvaccinated people wear masks on “public transportation conveyances and at transportation hubs,” which includes school buses.
Board member Brandon Wells took issue with the district’s decision to not require the wearing of masks on school buses.
“What’s the logic behind not following the federal mandate for masks on the bus?” Wells said.
“There is no federal mandate, the CDC has no ability to do that. That’s been interpreted as a mandate,” Marrah said. “We … believe that we should give families the opportunity to make a choice about whether or not they have their kids wear masks or not.”
Wells said he wasn’t comfortable with the rule.
“Kids who have to ride the bus, and that’s their only option, don’t have that option if the kid next to them isn’t wearing a mask or the bus driver’s not wearing a mask,” Wells said.
Board president Zack Truax said the board is there to make sure the administration follows the executive and legislative branches of Ohio.
“We are not beholden to the CDC,” he said. “No matter what my opinion on mask wearing is, or masking on the buses — and I want to be clear about this — if a directive comes from the (Ohio Legislature) or the governor’s office, we will follow it. Without question,” Truax said.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said Aug. 6 he does not intend to mandate masks or issue other health orders. He has, however, urged districts to require mask wearing and encouraged them in a news conference Tuesday to increase vaccinations.
On Friday, Ohio reported 3,783 new cases of COVID-19, an increase of 337 since Thursday.
The number of hospitalizations across Ohio are also on the rise. As of Friday, there were 1,738 patients hospitalized with the virus, the highest since last February. On Thursday, that number was 1,677. Overall, ICU bed capacity is roughly around 70%.
Even if DeWine or health commissioners were to reintroduce a mask mandate, House Bill 22 allows lawmakers to potentially block it. The bill, passed June 23, prohibits local health commissioners from taking such actions until there is a confirmed medical diagnosis, or a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak in a school.
The CDC issued another recommendation on July 27, saying fully-vaccinated people are to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. That advice was in addition to a prior recommendation that unvaccinated people continue wearing masks in those areas.
Ashland County currently falls under the high COVID-19 transmission category, according to CDC data collected Aug. 9 to 15. A high transmission category means the total new cases per 100,000 persons in the past 7 days is 100 or more.
The Ashland County Health Department’s stance on masking aligns with the CDC’s July 27 guidance.
The updated rules for the district were done so by administration officials without the need for a vote from the board. The board gave Marrah and his administration autonomy during the 2020-21 school year to move with different mandates handed down by state government.
Truax offered Wells the opportunity to make a motion to amend the mask wearing rules separately.
Wells declined, adding he respects the administration and his fellow board members.
“I just have a difference of opinion, that’s OK. We’re allowed to disagree,” he said. “I’m just pleading with people to take this seriously. This is not political. I don’t care who you voted for. I want to protect your children, our staff — so that’s where my heart is.”
The district will start tracking information on the virus’ prevalence in the school district on its online dashboard on Sept. 11.
The first day of instruction is Aug. 30. There will not be a remote-learning option for students this year, Marrah said.
“We moved away from that. It just did not have the results we want for kids — mental health, academic, socialization,” he said.
Truax said the district will continue to be flexible as changes occur throughout the school year.
Highlights of the updated protocols
The following are some of the district’s updated protocols. For the district’s complete list, click here.
• The district will continue to use social distancing guidelines “when possible.”
• Students and staff with a “medically documented case of COVID-19” will be required to quarantine for 10 days.
• Students and staff with other illnesses are encouraged to stay home. “The student can return to school if they are without fever for 48 hours without the use of medication, or symptoms of the illness have subsided, or they have been cleared by a physician.”
• All schools will have a designated “isolation area” for people exhibiting symptoms of illness. Parents will be contacted immediately under such circumstances.
• All district facilities, including district vehicles, playground and other equipment, will be cleaned and disinfected on a schedule.
• All entrances, common areas, buses and classrooms will include hand sanitizer and food-safe sanitizer.
