FARMINGTON -- Farmington, Lincoln and Prairie Grove school districts are strongly recommending that students, teachers and staff wear facemasks in the school building, whether they are vaccinated or not, administrators said last week.
Districts are following guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arkansas Department of Health.
The latest CDC guidance, updated Aug. 5, recommends universal indoor masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status, due to the highly contagious Delta variant.
Mary Ann Spears, superintendent of Lincoln Consolidated School District, was waiting Friday on the Arkansas Legislature to adjourn from its special session before posting a notice to parents about the start of the year.
The legislature met in special session last week to consider a bill to ease a ban on mask mandates for school children and allow local school boards to make the decision on whether to require face coverings. The legislature adjourned Friday without taking any action.
However, on Friday, an Arkansas judge issued an preliminary injunction that blocked the state from enforcing the law banning mask mandates by schools and other governmental bodies. This ruling will give local school boards the ability to issue their own mask mandates if they so choose.
Spears said she was a "little discouraged" with the legislative session but also noted local control can be political as well.
"I wish we had done like Louisiana and mandated it for schools, at least through the emergency order," she said, referring to a statewide public health emergency order that is in effect through September.
Spears said it's hard to understand how corporations like Tyson and Walmart can require their employees to get the covid-19 vaccine, but "we can't mandate masks."
The school is recommending masks for everyone primarily because of guidelines for quarantines, Spears said.
According to the department of health, individuals in a school setting exposed to a confirmed case of covid-19 do not have to quarantine if they do not have symptoms and both the infected person and any others in close contact were "consistently and correctly" wearing a mask.
A fully vaccinated person will not have to quarantine if they are exposed to the virus, unless they develop symptoms.
Spears said she will wear a mask anytime she's out in the school buildings and is encouraging teachers and staff to model that behavior.
"It's all I can do," Spears said. "I'm not going to be able to enforce a thing."
Farmington School District provided information in a question and answer format for parents about covid-19 and the 2021-22 school year.
For the question about wearing face coverings, the district's information sheet says, "We highly encourage our staff and students to wear masks indoors, as this can help control the transmission of COVID and protect others."
Joe McClung, assistant superintent with Farmington, said the district is recommending masks because it wants all students to be able to attend class and stay in school.
McClung said he plans to wear a mask when he is out of the office and visiting schools in the district.
Jennifer Helms, a Farmington parent, was at Cardinal Arena on Friday for her 12-year-old son, Colin Helms, to receive his second covid-12 vaccination.
Helms said she already had planned for her son to wear a mask to school.
"He's been great about it," Helms said. "He's used to it. As long as we've done it, it's almost habit now."
Helms is a registered medical assistant and CNA and plans to start nursing school this year.
Prairie Grove School District sent out a letter to parents about the new school year on July 28 and will send out an updated letter on Friday, said Superintendent Reba Holmes.
Masks will be optional, but Holmes' letter notes children under the age of 12 are not eligible for the covid-19 vaccination.
"Wearing of masks is highly recommended," Holmes said in her letter.
All three school districts will continue to follow safety protocols that were used during the 2020-21 school year, such as social distancing as much as possible, limited visitors to the schools and additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures for school facilities and buses.
The districts have virtual options in place. For those who have not signed up for virtual school and are interested in more information, districts are asking parents to contact building principals.
Holmes said she's always nervous at the start of a new year, whether she's been a teacher or an administrator.
"It's a great responsibility for us to bring children into 'our' house," Holmes said. "Whether there's covid or not, the safety of those kids is very important to us."