Current Masking Policies 2022-23

Originally posted 2-28-22
Updated 7-27-22

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Dear River Grove Families,

Throughout the COVID pandemic, River Grove’s COVID Task Force has carefully considered recommendations and requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Minnesota Departments of Health and Education. Putting the health and safety of our students, staff, families, and community has been our number one priority and concern. As we have done throughout, River Grove will continue to implement these recommendations as best fit the conditions of our school and continue to use them as a baseline towards our policy.

As a result of the CDC’s most recent update and guidance, masks are not required indoors in classrooms nor on buses.

As conditions require, we will refer to the COVID-19 Community Levels web tool (see below in “Expanded Explanation“) to check the status of our area and may make adjustments accordingly.

As masking is no longer required, parents should inform their children about their family’s mask preference. 

  • Please inform your teacher if you want him/her to remind your student(s) to wear masks in the classroom. 
  • Because it could potentially be unsafe, we will not require bus drivers to remind students to wear masks.

Expanded Explanation

On February 25, 2022, the CDC noted that current high levels of vaccination and high levels of population immunity (from both vaccination and prior infection) have greatly reduced the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 for most people.*

Therefore, they have released updated guidance regarding masking and have eased masking recommendations for much of the country, including inside schools.

Masking recommendations are determined by looking at combined criteria: hospital bed usage, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area. They have provided a web-tool called COVID-19 Community Levels to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high.**

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Base on these metrics, as of 7/27/22, Washington County, Minnesota, is in the “low” category:

In addition, the CDC’s requirement for face masks on public transportation has been revised:

“Effective February 25, 2022, the CDC does not require wearing of masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs.” ***

SOURCES: 
*https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html
**https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html
***https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/face-masks-public-transportation.html