On Wednesday of this week, Governor Inslee announced that masks will be required in schools this fall for students, staff, and visitors - regardless of vaccination status. This is based on NEW CDC GUIDANCE . Please understand that this masking decision is not a choice being left to local school boards or districts. It is required by the Governor through executive order.
Face coverings (masks) are required per the continuation of the Governor's emergency proclamation from February 29, 2020 and the Secretary of Health's Mask Order from June 29, 2021 for all school personnel, students, and visitors in school facilities while indoors or on school buses. Specific exemptions to the Secretary of Health's mask order allow for staff that have been verified to be fully vaccinated may be indoors without masks when students are not present.
The Mount Vernon School District will provide full-time, in-person learning to all students and families this fall. We will maintain a physical distance of three feet or more between students in classroom settings to the degree possible and reasonable, that allows for full-time, in-person learning for all students as prescribed in the guidance. Our ability to do so will depend on students’ ages, developmental and physical abilities, and available space.
The Governor, State Department of Health (DOH), and Skagit County Department of Health will continue to review the data, subsequent variants, and the effectiveness of layered mitigation strategies for any possibility that we can loosen masking requirements. You can find an archive of the Governor’s press comments HERE , and HERE is the link to the updated fall State DOH school guidance. We will continue to work with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and DOH to ensure we have timely access to updated K-12 School 2021-2022 requirements. We expect the next update to be in late October.
We will keep you informed of any DOH changes or updates. As a district, our commitment is to provide continuous education and rigorous academics in a safe learning environment. Please know that we take that commitment seriously and will continue to address the educational, safety, and social emotional needs of all of our students.
While we understand that many staff and families hoped to eliminate the mask mandates for the start of this school year, we must follow State and DOH requirements and guidelines. There are also staff and families who will be relieved the requirement is in place. Wherever you stand on the issue, we value and appreciate your willingness and understanding to work together to follow health and safety protocols.
In Mount Vernon, we are planning for a full-time, in person return to school starting on Wednesday, September 1 for grades 1-12 and Tuesday, September 7 for Kindergarten. The 2021-22 SCHOOL CALENDAR IS AVAILABLE HERE, and it will be updated when early release and conference days have been finalized.
The Mount Vernon School District will likely begin the process of verifying the vaccination status of all staff and faculty as required by Labor & Industries. This will allow the district to minimize quarantining procedures for verified vaccinated employees. Additionally, students may also share verified vaccinated status with the district to reduce quarantining requirements.
Thank you for your continued support of the district.
