By Beacon Staff
The mask mandate for the West Burlington School District, passed nearly a month ago, was voted down by the school board Thursday night during an emergency meeting.
Students and staff will no longer have to wear masks starting Friday, Oct. 8.
The board voted 3-0 to end the policy that required students and staff to wear masks inside school buildings, citing a decreased COVID-19 positivity rate in the school. Board members Bruce Thuleen, Andrea Bowen, and Mike Davis voted to end the policy, while board members Lee Boughton and Pam Dodds were not present at the meeting.
The board voted Sept. 20 to consider removal of the mandate if the student COVID-19 positivity rate fell below two percent. Other parameters included a county positivity rate below 11 percent.
Both those thresholds have been met, according to information provided at the meeting. As of Thursday, only two students were positive for COVID-19 – which counts for about half a percent. The Des Moines County positivity rate, meanwhile, is at 10 percent.
“Should there be increases in illness related to the identified indicators, it (the mask mandate) may be reinstated at a future time,” West Burlington Superintendent Lisa Beames said in a statement on Facebook. “Please continue to take measures to protect you and yours during this time.”