Masks Required In Stillwater Pre-K-8 Schools: School Board

STILLWATER, MN — The Stillwater School Board voted 5-1 to approve a mask mandate for all students, staff and visitors in pre-K through grade 8 schools at its meeting Thursday night.

Masks will be required for everyone regardless of vaccination status, though medical exemptions can be made by filling out an exemption form, which can be found here.

The requirement will take effect Monday. It is aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus – especially to children under 12, as a vaccine has not yet been approved for them.

The mandate comes as pediatric COVID-19 hospitalizations have surged to their highest levels on record – averaging 303 new admissions per day over the week ending Aug. 22, CNBC reported.

The board will revisit its requirement at the beginning of each quarter, the Pioneer Press reported, and it will also be revisited "as transmission rates decline and vaccines become available for young children," according to the district's website.

Additionally, the school district is "strongly recommending" that all staff, students and visitors to Stillwater Area High School, the ALC and Transitions program and Central Services Building wear a face covering.

In a presentation at the meeting, the board cited recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health, both of which recommend universal masking in schools for everyone older than 2 years old.

"We want to err on the side of safety and what’s right for our kids during this very complex and very challenging time," Superintendent Malinda Lansfeld told the board, as reported by The Pioneer Press. "Our priority is to keep kids in school and learning."

The board's presentation also noted that neighboring school districts, such as Mahtomedi Public Schools, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Schools and White Bear Lake Area Schools, have similar masking requirements in place.

The vote was preceded by a heated public comment period, during which five people spoke in favor of the policy and eight against it, The Pioneer Press reported. After the vote, multiple people could be heard threatening to pull their children from the district.

A full recording of the meeting can be found below.