After more than an hour of public testimony from parents, students and educators, the Juneau's board of education voted unanimously to bring back a mask-optional policy.
Frank Henry Kaash Katasse guides students to his classroom for a Tlingit class at Dzantik’i Heeni middle school on the first day of school on Monday, August 16, 2021, in Juneau, Alaska. The school district got rid of its mask mandate in April 2022, then reinstated it for two days before making masks optional again on April 26. gone back to requiring masksThe board of education held a special meeting Tuesday night to address the issue.
Families were sent emails and texts on Saturday, saying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had increased Juneau’s community risk level. The CDC updates its metric once a week. After a more careful examination, Superintendent Bridget Weiss said that might not have been the best way to make mask policy decisions in schools.
“We’ve learned a lot since Friday about that metric and what it means,” she said. “That CDC metric is really out of alignment with our local metric and health conditions.”Share this story:I keep tabs on what’s happening in Juneau’s classrooms for the families they serve and the people who work in them. My goal is to shine a light on both stories of success and the cracks that need to be filled, because I believe a good education is the basis of a strong community.