The Todd County Public School System won’t be requiring its students, faculty or staff to wear a mask when the new school year begins there on August 11.
Superintendent Mark Thomas says with state and federal officials only issuing recommendations instead of mandates at this point, masking will be optional in Todd County schools.
He says the district will closely monitor the local data as it did last year and procedures are subject to change as the pandemic evolves.
Todd County Health Department nurses will have rapid COVID tests available in the school buildings and vaccines will be made available to faculty, staff and students whose family agrees to them.
Thomas says approximately 70 percent of faculty and staff said they were interested in being vaccinated at one time, but some of those changed their minds and some who didn’t want to be vaccinated later decided to get the shot.
He says intense cleaning procedures will remain in place to prevent spread of COVID, flu and other illnesses and all of the schools’ HVAC systems have been upgraded to better filter the air.
Listen to our entire interview with Thomas below: