WSD relaxes mask rules at SHES

OSBURN — During a midweek meeting of the Wallace School District COVID Planning Committee, the decision was made to relax some of their established restrictions.

In a district-wide media release, WHS Superintendent Todd Howard discussed how the group examined current data, including declining numbers of positive cases, and made a change concerning how Silver Hills Elementary School would handle masks and face coverings going forward.

“SHES staff continue to focus on the cohorting of students into smaller grade level groups,” Howard’s release read. “Because of the case numbers and ability to ensure the cohort groups, the planning committee agreed that the elementary building would relax their face covering expectations.”

As per the release, students will still be required to wear their facial coverings when they are in more diverse, non-cohorting groups. Examples being intervention groups, common areas, school buses and during passing periods in the hallways.

Despite the relaxation in their rules, the school will still continue to "highly recommend" face coverings for students throughout the school, including during classroom cohort times.

This change does not extend to Wallace Jr./Sr. High School, where the decision was made to keep their current rules in place due to the way high schools function as opposed to elementary schools.

“The reason for not making those changes is due to the inability of groups of students to be organized into consistent cohorts,” read the release. “Classes are continually shuffled as students move between class periods in two different classes. One positive case could result in significant quarantine levels if students are not wearing face coverings.”

Anyone who has questions concerning the Wallace School District’s COVID Planning Committee or the guidelines and expectations that they have laid out, should call Silver Hills Elementary School at 208-556-1556 or the Wallace School District Office at 208-753-4515.