From The Tribune staff reports
JEFFERSON COUNTY — Jefferson County Schools, is switching to mask optional on Monday, November 1.
According to the Jefferson County Schools, Jefferson County Schools has seen a consistent drop in their positive case count and close contact numbers over the last few weeks.
Students and employees will still be required to wear masks on the bus because of the existing federal order.
Jefferson County Schools says they reserve the right to make changes to their procedures as needed. However, if the numbers go back up, Jefferson County Schools might be forced to bring for a long time period. In addition, individual schools or feeder patterns might also be subject to a mask mandate should their numbers rise.
Students and employees will not be excluded from school unless they become symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19. Therefore, Jefferson County Schools ask that students and employees report a COVID-19 positive diagnosis or symptomatic exposure to your school nurses.
COVID-19 positive individuals must meet all the following criteria before returning to school/work:
- Must be isolated for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear;
- Must be fever-free for a least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications at the end of the 10 day period
- Improvement of all symptoms
Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin ” I encourage everyone to continue to practice good hygiene and social distancing. Stay home if you’re sick, and please get vaccinated,” Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin said. “Our employees and older students are already eligible for the shot. Hopefully, our younger students will join that category in the coming days. Let’s all work together to keep our numbers low and our doors open.”