Credit: Screen Capture of live stream
The Bristol Township School Board voted unanimously to move from masks required to making them optional in its buildings.
The school board’s vote that impacts students and staff starting Wednesday came during the Tuesday evening action meeting. The decision was met with some applause from the small audience.
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The district has required masks in schools over the course of pandemic.
In a letter sent to parents Wednesday morning, Superintendent Dr. Melanie Gehrens said shaming or bullying of students who either wear or don’t wear a mask won’t be tolerated.
Students will still have to wear masks on buses, as required by federal law.
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The district will continue to require positive COVID-19 test results to be reported to their health staff.
The district said they will continue to require quarantining for ill students.
Masks will be required for five days for vaccinated students who have a close contact with someone with COVID-19, and quarantine for five days will be required for unvaccinated students who have a close contact.
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Below is Gehrens’ letter to parents:
Dear Bristol Township School District Community,
At last night’s School Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to revise the Health and Safety Plan guidelines to optional masking, which will go into effect today, Wednesday, February 23, 2022.
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Although mandatory masking is no longer required, many students and staff may still choose to do so. We encourage the use of masks based on an individual’s comfort level and for high-risk individuals. Every decision should be respected — shaming, questioning, or bullying will not be tolerated.
As noted in my last letter, students must continue to wear masks on school transportation as mandated by the federal government.
All employees, contractors, and students must continue to report any positive COVID-19 test results to the district. BTSD will continue to report these positive cases to the Bucks County Health Department.
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Any individual who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to continue to isolate for the required number of days as determined by the District School Nurse in consultation with the Bucks County Health Department.
Masks will remain required for any vaccinated individual who has been identified as a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case, in order to avoid exclusion from school per the new CDC guidelines. Unvaccinated individuals identified as a close contact to a positive COVID-19 case will still need to quarantine for 5 days and return to school on the 6th day after exposure if they do not have any symptoms. (Testing is recommended if the individual has symptoms). This is per current expectations from the Bucks County Health Department, which defers to CDC guidance.
Thank you for following these expectations to keep our students and staff safe, healthy, and in school.
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Sincerely,
Melanie Gehrens, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools Bristol Township School District
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