A unanimous St. Paul school board on Tuesday night agreed to make face masks mandatory in district schools and buildings through at least the first quarter of the school year.
The order applies to all students, staff and visitors, whether they’ve been vaccinated or not.
Masks can be removed while eating or drinking, and employees can take off their masks when working alone. Students can do the same when playing sports, singing, acting, public speaking or playing certain musical instruments.
The school board plans to revisit the mandate before each quarter of the school year.
“Our goal is to keep our students and staff safe and physically present in our schools, if they choose,” Superintendent Joe Gothard said, adding that masks can “prevent unnecessary quarantines.”
The mandate follows recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Health and Education departments, who say face masks help control the spread of the coronavirus.
Unlike last school year, when masks were required across the state, the decision now is up to each school district. While most Minnesota districts are only recommending face coverings, a growing number are requiring them.
They include Minneapolis, South Washington County, Rochester, Robbinsdale, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale, Duluth, Burnsville-Savage-Eagan and Fridley. Stillwater’s school board is expected to vote on a mandate Aug. 26.
Some districts are requiring masks only in elementary and middle schools because people 12 and older can get vaccines.
Board member Chauntyll Allen pressed administrators Tuesday on consequences for students who refuse to wear a mask.
“Worst-case scenario is that an in-person environment wouldn’t be safe and we wouldn’t be able to provide that,” Gothard said.
Andrew Collins, chief of schools, said the district would work with families to get students to comply. He said he doesn’t consider refusal worthy of a suspension.
PUBLIC SUPPORT
School mask mandates have solid support from the general public — 69 percent, according to an Aug. 13-16 Axios/Ipsos Poll of 1,041 U.S. adults.
During public comment at the start of the meeting Tuesday in St. Paul, 10 speakers favored the mandate and four were opposed.
John Anderson, who has children ages 7 and 11 in the district, said masks are a “common-sense measure” that worked well last spring. No one likes wearing masks, he said, but “our students want to be in school in-person, together with their peers.”
Sarah Degner Riveros, who has two sons under 12, said masks are now necessary.
“Our mutual safety depends on the air we share,” she said.
So far in Minnesota, 862 school-age children have been hospitalized with COVID-19 — 1 out of every 118 with known infections. Two have died.
Jennings Campbell, who opposes the mask mandate and has a grandchild in the district, said the virus is “not a dangerous, deadly enemy justifying the fear game.”
Other opponents urged the board to let parents decide whether their own kids wear masks at school.
“It’s the parents’ decision. Our kids can still go to school and wear a mask if the parents require it,” said Michael Gay, who has a high school senior in the district.
VACCINE MANDATE FOR STAFF?
Teachers were among the first Minnesotans to become eligible for coronavirus vaccines in January, but some have refused.
Board member John Brodrick on Tuesday urged district administrators to work with bargaining groups on a vaccine mandate for employees. Jim Vue and Yusef Carrillo indicated support for the idea, but others wanted more information.
Chief of Staff Cedrick Baker asked the board to hold off on any action related to the idea Tuesday, saying it wasn’t on the meeting agenda and they should make time for public engagement.
The concept had support from some public speakers Tuesday. Peter Hendricks, father of an 11-year-old in the district, said a vaccine mandate is “common sense” and noted other districts across the country have done it.
The National Education Association last week endorsed vaccine mandates for school staff — or regular testing for those who refuse. The American Federation of Teachers supports mandatory vaccines only if local unions agree.
Several private colleges in Minnesota are requiring their staffs to get vaccinated. The University of Minnesota is doing the same if and when a vaccine gets full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
ONLINE SCHOOL
The board Tuesday also approved the expansion of the district’s new online school, which will be open to grades K-12 this fall.
“Many continue to feel that it’s not safe to come back (to school) with COVID-19,” Gothard said.
The school has its own principal and teachers. Students are expected to stick with their chosen school for at least a full semester.
As of last week, the school had enrolled only about 50 students in grades 9-11. The district overall had 33,688 students K-12 last fall.