The Hope Public Schools District reinforced Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson's mask mandate in a Board meeting Monday night, voicing support for a K-12 mandatory mask policy.
Meeting with masks in a socially distanced setting, HPS board members backed the idea to implement a policy making it mandatory for the district's approximately 2,248 students and 200 faculty to wear masks on campus, when it is not possible to socially distance.
"We are coming to you with a policy on face coverings," HPS superintendent Bobby Hart said. "The Governor's directive covers students from ages 10 and up; however, we note that a majority of districts that have created a policy have gone to K-12."
Hart also said parents who insist on their students not wearing a mask have the option of registering them for the Hope from Home Virtual Academy, which is taking registrations through July 31.
Zone 4 representative Jimmy Courtney conveyed his support for masks, but said many parents believe social distancing is enough, and the masks are not necessary.
Zone 8 Representative David "Bubba" Powers acknowledged the potential for complaints from parents, but stood firm in his belief that the students and faculty need to be protected.
"I know we are going to get some strong push back; but, number one, we need to protect our young people, and, number two, we should protect our personnel," Powers said. "There is no perfect answer to this situation. I think it is going to take the extraordinary support of every parent, child, everybody, to get through this."
Hart said currently, any students who refuse to wear masks on campus will be removed from class, and their parent or guardian will be notified. Once again, these students will be offered the virtual academy for instruction.
The district has ordered 10,000 cloth face coverings, to provide three each for students and staff.
Per press release, the policy guidelines for masks is as follows:
"Face coverings" include any material that covers the nose and mouth and prevents respiratory particles from traveling beyond the immediate area of the person wearing the face covering.
Face coverings should fully cover the mouth and nose and fit snugly against the side of the face with no gaps. Examples of face coverings include masks,
neck gaiters or "buffs," and face shields.
Reusable face coverings should be machine washed or washed by hand and allowed to dry completely after each use.
Additionally, pay special attention to putting on and removing face coverings for purposes such as eating. After use, the front of the face-covering is considered contaminated and should not be touched during removal or replacement. Hand hygiene should be performed immediately after removing and after replacing the face covering.
Students
All students must wear face coverings when physical distancing of six feet is not possible or not practical. (School entry, exit, classroom, hall passing, bathroom). This includes any time a student is on district property, on district-owned transportation, waiting at bus stops, or at all school-sponsored activities.
Students may remove face coverings while eating meals or snacks. Physical distancing should be maintained as much as practicable.
Students will be given face-covering breaks throughout the day. Students will be spaced at least six feet apart during face-covering breaks.
Exceptions to face-covering requirements will be made for those for whom it is not possible to wear face coverings due to medical conditions, disability impact, or other health or safety factors. Requests for face-covering exceptions must be approved by the student's principal and accompanied by appropriate medical documentation.
Staff
All staff (certified and classified) must wear face coverings when physical distancing of six feet is not possible or not practical. (School entry, exit, classroom, hall passing, workrooms). This includes any time a staff member is on district property, on district-owned transportation, waiting at bus stops, or at all school-sponsored activities.
Staff may remove face coverings while eating meals or snacks. Physical distancing must be maintained while during meal or snack times.
Staff and presenters may remove face coverings while teaching if 12 feet distancing is maintained.
When the District determines face shields or clear masks are necessary for instructional purposes (e.g., English Learners, early childhood, foreign language, etc.), shields or clear masks will be provided by the District. When face shields are selected as a matter of preference, the shields must be provided by the employee.
Exceptions to face-covering requirements will be made for those for whom it is not possible due to medical conditions, disability impact, or other health or safety factors.
Requests for face-covering exceptions must be approved by the employee's supervisor and accompanied by appropriate medical documentation.