Mask decision to come next month for KSD

KELLOGG — The discussion surrounding masks in the Kellogg School District hit a fever pitch over the last week as many parents are calling on Shoshone County’s largest district to follow in the footsteps of both the Wallace and Mullan School Districts.

Mullan dropped their mask requirement to simply a recommendation last week, and Wallace fully adopted a recommendation after tweaking their rules at Silver Hills Elementary School, but waited until earlier this week for Wallace Jr./Sr. High School.

After the city of Kellogg decided to not renew their mask mandate moving forward, KSD patrons had hoped that the Kellogg School District Board of Trustees would make a decision similar to their neighbors at their recent school board meeting or call a special meeting to make a decision regarding the district’s mask and facial covering requirement.

According to KSD Superintendent Dr. Nancy Larsen, masks and facial coverings were discussed at the April meeting, but after discussing timely items such as the meeting’s proximity to the end of spring break and wanting to see if that changed anything, as well as taking into consideration the possibility of losing upcoming spring sports events, as well as the rite of passage events like graduation and prom, they decided to table the topic until the May 12 meeting.

According to Larsen, in the past few days several parents have reached out to the district office, some with questions and some with threats, and almost all of them centered around the mask requirement.

Dr. Larsen also mentioned that she has had just as many folks contact her directly who are in favor of keeping the mask requirement through the school year’s end, as she has had those contact her in hopes of seeing it quashed.

“Our board has chosen to address it on May 12,” Larsen said. “It will be at their discretion which way that will go.”

Rumors have swirled on social media outlets promising an anti-mask protest that will be held at the various schools within the KSD on Friday, similar to how patrons of the Coeur d’Alene School District did a few weeks ago.

Dr. Larsen hopes that people will think the other way and not disrupt the schools and educational process.

“It is unfortunate that anyone would choose to interrupt the educational process,” Larsen said. “I’ve told my staff (in preparation of a potential protest) to remain professional and above all, to just keep teaching.”

Students protesting the mask requirement could be subject to disciplinary action should their protest be seen as disruptive to the school’s and/or classroom’s learning process.