More Kentucky schools relaxing mask requirements

SCOTT COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) - We’re seeing a lot of school districts in our area begin to relax mask requirements.

A number of school districts in our area are moving to mask optional; Bourbon County, Greenup County, Russell Independent, they’re all doing that today. Scott County Schools will be moving that way next week, but the question now becomes, what will learning look like?

“We’re not throwing out every single thing that we’ve done up to this point,” said Scott County Schools Superintendent Billy Parker. “We’re just acknowledging that we’re at a point where we can start peeling back some of these things.”

Parker says teachers will have the opportunity to social distance as needed in classrooms and cafeterias. Masks will still be worn on buses because of the federal rules in place, but Parker says now is the time to roll back on restrictions.

Throughout the pandemic, Scott County Schools have looked at data from the WEDCO Health District, and data from their schools, while listening to local and state health leaders.

From last Thursday through the weekend, just three students reported positive cases and only 17 students are in quarantine right now.

Parker says all of those stars are now starting to align.

“When this all started, physical health was definitely of paramount importance because there wasn’t vaccines. There weren’t treatments and other things that have come to light since that time,” Parker said. “Now, we’re really looking at, we do have the physical health that’s still important but we also see that mental health side and the toll that it’s taken through this multiple years now of dealing with COVID.”

Superintendent Parker says while masking will become optional next week, other COVID-19 mitigation strategies will still be in play such as test-to-stay programs.

Parker says school leaders will meet Tuesday to discuss things like test-to-stay and whether or not the dropping case counts will call for any more changes to the district’s COVID-19 policies.