On February 27, 2022, the special Board of Education meeting was called to order. This meeting was made to discuss the continuation of the mask mandate for USD 259 school district.
In the meeting the Board heard a report from a representative of the Service Employees International Union. Shortly after, the Board heard a report from the United Teachers of Wichita.
A motion was made to stop the mask mandate at the end of the day on March, 10, 2022. This motion recommended that masks should be worn in all athletic events and all district facilities, but there would be no mandate. Due to a federal mandate, masks would still be required on district transportation, as well as on school buses. This motion was passed by the Board, 4-3.
Soon after that motion was passed, there was a second motion that the Board had to vote on. The second motion was a proposed plan to immediately remove the mask mandate. This motion failed by a vote of 4-3.
The decision to lift the mask mandate on March 10 has already stirred some controversy on social media. Parents, faculty, and students are all curious to see how this all plays out. Most people are worried to see how this will affect COVID-19 cases in the district. It will also be interesting to see how this will affect spring sports and other large crowd activities, like graduation. Since the meeting, multiple other organizations have repealed restrictions. As of Mar 3, the NFL repealed COVID restrictions, and the CDC has repealed mask mandates for public transport. Many are interested in what this will mean for USD 259 buses.