Dewey Public Schools Updates Mask Requirements For Spring Semester

Most students in Dewey Public Schools will return to the classroom in-person on Monday, but the district is expanding its mask requirements.

Students in grades six through 12 have been required to wear a mask since the start of the year, but starting Monday, district officials said third through fifth graders will now have to wear masks.

Kids in second grade and below are strongly encouraged but not required to wear a mask.

Superintendent Vince Vincent said that he believes students in the upper elementary grades will not let the mask become a distraction while they are working.

"We really felt like our grades three through five, those students were at the age level where they could effectively wear a mask without a lot of adult intervention," said Vincent.

The district only had a handful of distance learning days during the fall semester, with the middle school moving to distance right before the winter break.