The Lake Hamilton School District Board of Education revised the mask policy on Monday, October 18, 2021, during their regularly scheduled meeting. The revised policy states that face coverings are optional but encouraged, at indoor gatherings and events for which student attendance is optional. That includes, but is not limited to, extracurricular events and athletic contests.
Masks are still required to be worn indoors for students in grades pre-K through 12, all employees, and visitors during school days in which attendance is required. Masks continue to be required for passengers and drivers on school buses. Masks are not required when outdoors.
The complete mask policy can be found here.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Mask Policy Revision:
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹? Unlike attending school each day, attending optional events is just that, optional. Parents/guardians have a choice whether or not their student attends optional events and can assume the full risk of their student being potentially exposed and/or quarantined whether or not they wear a mask or go near a person not wearing a mask.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀? The district believes that students learn best in school. The district is required to follow the Arkansas Department of Health quarantine guidelines for persons that have been identified as a probable close contact (someone within 3 feet, for 15 minutes or more, during a 24 hour period, of a person Covid-19 positive). Arkansas Department of Health guidelines states that individuals exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19 will not need to be quarantined if they have no symptoms and both the infected and exposed individual consistently and correctly was wearing a mask.