Franklin Public Schools To Require Masks For 6th Grade And Below

FRANKLIN, WI — When 6th grade and below returns to Franklin Public Schools next week they may be required to wear masks.

The Franklin Public Schools Board of Education amended its policy at a meeting Wednesday. Depending on the community and school case loads, all students may need to wear masks, an email from the district spokesperson confirmed.

The student body of the district was divided into two groups by age.

Those in 6th grade and below will all be required to wear masks upon their return to school. The amended protocol states that anytime the community burden is moderate or higher, those students will need to wear masks.

At present, the community burden is considered high, so masks would be required in 6th grade and below. The district said it plans to update a dashboard weekly with community burden rates.

Should the case burden fall into the "low" category, masks would not be required.

For students older than 6th grade the plan is a bit different. Everyone at Franklin Public Middle School and High School will only be required to wear a mask if the COVID-19 positivity rates in the school are 1.5 percent or higher.

View the district's announcement here.

"We are currently in the red and more than likely will still be next week when school starts," an announcement from the district said. "We will communicate the current burden rate in a communication to all families next week so you can know what to expect before school starts."

Prior to Wednesday's decision, the district had removed its masking policy in June. All students in summer programs were not required to wear masks. Since the onset of summer, though, the COVID-19 delta variant has surged, bringing new calls for masking among health agencies and parents.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC have both released new guidance that all K-12 schools should have universal masking to prevent continued spread of the delta variant.