By Sam Wildow
TROY — Troy City Schools recently posted its face mask policy for the coming school year, making face masks optional for students and staff, with the exception of students who ride the bus and bus drivers.
“After much discussion and careful consideration, we have decided facial coverings will be optional for students and staff at Troy City Schools this fall. Please note that although face coverings are optional, the Center for Disease Control and Ohio Department of Health continues to strongly recommend their use indoors,” Chris Piper, Troy City Schools superintendent, stated in the notice.
The district’s official face mask policy came days after the Ohio Department of Health stated it would not mandate face masks for students in school in the fall.
Troy City Schools has been conducting summer school classes this summer without mandating face coverings, and the Troy Board of Education has previously stated it has not experienced any issues with this current policy. Over 30 parents and community members attended the Troy Board of Education’s meeting on July 12 in protest of potential face mask requirements for school in the fall.
Piper noted that, as has been the case throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic, instructions and orders from federal, state, and local health officials are subject to change. If necessary, the district will adjust its procedures accordingly.
Due to federal mandates on public transportation, which includes school buses, both passengers and drivers will have to wear face coverings on school buses. The CDC issued an order on Jan. 29 requiring the wearing of masks by travelers. The CDC order provides limited exemptions to the mask requirement for certain categories of individuals, including: children under the age of 2; persons with disabilities who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask because of a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act; and persons for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty. For more information, visit www.transportation.gov.
All students and staff should continue to follow the district’s health monitoring recommendations. Staying home when not feeling well is an important measure that helps prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses like the flu, the district stated.
The district provided the following list of symptoms where, if a student feels ill in one or more of the following ways, they should stay home and/or seek medical advice: fever or chills, muscle or body aches, fatigue, sore throat, cough, difficulty breathing, diarrhea or vomiting, new loss of taste or smell, and new onset of severe headache, especially with a fever.
Check www.troy.k12.oh.us for additional back-to-school updates.
