No mandated masks for new year in Cape Schools

The first day of classes in the Cape Girardeau School District begins in two weeks Aug. 25. No masks will be required for the district's 4,326 students but that could change if absenteeism reaches a certain level.

In a specially called meeting Monday, the school board was informed of superintendent Neil Glass' reentry plan, and the veteran administrator said student out-of-school data will guide the district's COVID policy going forward in the 2021-2022 academic year.

"We'll start out with no masks but if the COVID-19 delta variant infection rate warrants it, a face-covering mandate may be put into effect," said Glass, who has led the district since 2017.

"Our average daily attendance (A.D.A.) in a normal year — meaning prior to COVID — is 93%. I asked our team for our low-water marks, again before the pandemic, in the past five years — which showed our A.D.A. never dropped below 90%, so that's our trigger number," he said.

Glass said the Cape Girardeau County's health department suggested to school administrators absenteeism is the best guide to drive any decision to reinstitute a mask requirement.

"Any one school falling below 90% in A.D.A. will trigger a mandate for all our schools," said Glass, adding the under-90% mark must be held for five consecutive days in order for masks to go from optional to mandated.

Glass said he considered, but rejected, basing a decision on viral loads derived from sewer samples.

What Glass called "layered mitigation strategies" will continue to be in effect: handwashing and/or hand sanitizer, social distancing and placing students in cohorts "whenever we can."

Virtual

Howard Benyon, deputy superintendent, told board members the Tigers@Home remote learning program will not be offered in 2021-2022 but parents still can choose a virtual option.

"Families can choose a provider through the Missouri Course Access and Virtual School Program — MOCAP — but they must make a selection by Aug. 16," Benyon said. The website is mocap.mo.gov.

"We are mandating our [district] teachers to offer blended learning formats, either through Google or Canvas, for students who cannot come to class."

Transportation

Citing federal rules, riding on school buses will require masking, regardless of whether a student is vaccinated, Glass said.

The bus mask mandate applies, he said, whether the transport involves regular routes or trips to athletic events.

Vax clinics

Glass said the district is setting up free vaccination clinics, which district communications director Kristin Tallent said should begin the first week of school.

Asked how many district teachers and other staff have been vaccinated, Glass said he is only aware of those employees who have received their doses through a school-sponsored clinic, which currently adds up to 370. The number may be higher, he said, if doses were received elsewhere. The Cape Girardeau School District has more than 800 total staff.

Rihannon Martin, the district's designated contact tracer, was present at the meeting to answer questions.

Comments

"I think this is a good plan (and) I like we're using data from the district rather than from other areas — such as the State of Missouri or the United States as a whole," board member Jeff Glenn said.

"We're going off our own metrics and that's a good thing," echoed fellow member Jared Ritter.