The Perry School Board approved updated masks guidelines during a special meeting Wednesday.

Governor Kim Reynolds recently released guidance in the event of a positive COVID-19 test at a school. If the individual who tests positive for COVID-19, and those identified through contact tracing, both wore a mask, only the individual who tested positive has to quarantine. This prompted the Perry School Board to review their mask policy, which to this point, had been to strongly encourage masks at school. After two nights of discussion, the Board unanimously approved their Return to Learn plan stating students and staff will wear masks when social distance can not be maintained. The Board defines social distance as being at least six-feet apart for 15 continuous minutes. With this new policy, the District is confident that it will require fewer students to be forced to quarantine.

Superintendent Clark Wicks says the ultimate goal is to keep the doors to Perry schools open, “It’s not so much mask or no mask, it’s do we want to stay in school? Or do we want to go all online? Because this bug is tricky and it can travel so quickly, and it spreads so quickly, and the contact between people is just exponentially quick. That’s why we’re having that discussion, and that’s why it’s a big deal.”

The topic of extending the school day was also discussed. The Board decided to see how the next few weeks go and review the length of the school day during their November meeting.