Sand Springs Public Schools mandate masks for upcoming school year

The Sand Springs Board of Education approved a plan Monday night for the new school year that will include mandatory face masks for both students and employees. Students in grades 4 through 12 will be required to wear a cloth face covering while at school. Students in Pre-K through 3rd grade will be required to wear a mask in hallways and common areas, but will be allowed to remove them in classrooms, while eating lunch, and during outdoor activities. Students will be exempt from wearing a mask if they have a medical reason documented by a physician.

District employees will have their temperature taken and will answer a health screener before entering their work stations each day. Anyone with a fever of 100.4 or greater will not be allowed to return to campus until they have been temperature-free for 24 hours without medication.

Employees will have to wear a face mask while in a school building or vehicle unless they have a medical reason, documented by a physician, that prevents them from wearing one. However, they will be allowed to remove the mask if they are in a room/vehicle alone or are able to maintain at least six feet of space from others. They also won’t have to wear a mask if they work in the heat or with machinery that could cause a safety hazard.

Employees who come into close contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19 will be required to quarantine for 14 days. Close contact is defined as being within six feet of a person for more than 15 minutes, living in the same household, or being exposed to coughing, kissing, sharing of utensils, etc. They will not be required to stay home from work if they’ve been near an infected person, but not in close contact. They will also be allowed to come to work if they are showing some COVID-like symptoms, but aren’t feverish and haven’t knowingly been exposed to an infected person.

The district is encouraging parents to personally bring their kids to school, if possible, so that buses operate under capacity. Windows will remain open on the bus whenever possible and students will be socially distanced as much as possible. Cloth face masks will be required unless the student has a medical excuse documented by a physician.

Classrooms will be equipped with disinfectant wipes and teachers will be spending additional time disinfecting frequently touched surfaces throughout the day. Shared school supplies will be discontinued when possible.

Large group gatherings and assemblies will be avoided when possible, and masks will be required when events are held, with medical exceptions. Students will be discouraged from congregating in the hallways and lobbies before, during, and after school. The cafeteria will be limited to no more than 250 students at a time, and they will be allowed to remove masks while eating. Tables will be disinfected after each group exits.

Visitors will only be allowed to enter the school with prior administrative approval, and will be subjected to screener questions and temperature checks. Approved volunteers will be required to wear masks at all times. No parents or family members will be allowed to accompany their students into the building at any time. Assemblies at all grade levels will be limited to students and staff only.

Back to School nights, Meet and Greets, Parent Nights, etc. will be restricted to 250 people. Athletic events, band and choir performances, plays, etc. will be managed by the designated department leader.

Board members Mike Mullins, Jackie Wagnon, and Whitney Wagers voted in favor of the proposal, while Rusty Gunn and Bo Naugle voted against it. Immediately following the vote, Gunn donated 300 masks to the district and pledged 1,000 more.

For families that aren’t comfortable sending their children to school this fall, the district also offers virtual and blended learning. According to Virtual Academy Director Jay Rotert, elementary enrollment in the virtual academy has increased from 11 students last year to 162 for the upcoming semester.