FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Fayetteville Board of Education voted unanimously to accept the administration’s recommendation to revise its face mask policy.
Effective this week, students and staff members may remove their masks for outside activities like recess and P.E.
Masks will still be required inside district buildings, and social distancing will still be practiced wherever possible, according to a district news release.
The board also approved a revision to its COVID-19 screenings policy. The change removes the requirement for temperature check screenings for students, staff, and visitors who enter school buildings.
“The latest research suggests that the rates of virus transmission are significantly reduced when students are outside,” said Superintendent John L. Colbert. “We recommended this revision to our policy to allow our students a little more freedom when they are outside. Our students and staff members have done an outstanding job of following our COVID-19 protocols, and that has enabled us to have an uninterrupted school year.”
Virus cases in the Fayetteville district have remained low through most of the year. According to the district’s latest COVID-19 dashboard, there are currently only three active COVID-19 cases out of the more than 10,000 students and 1,400 faculty and staff across the district.
Colbert said the district will continue to closely monitor the situation and will be prepared to make any other necessary adjustments.
