Sartell-St. Stephen Schools End Mask Mandate

(KNSI) – The Sartell-St. Stephen School District will end its maks mandate. Starting Tuesday, masks will be optional for all students and staff in District 748 buildings during the school day. Schools have a limited supply of KN-95 masks available for students and staff if requested. Masks will still be required on all district transportation, and disposable masks will still be available for all students on buses.

An email sent to families says the district follows Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations based on declining COVID-19 rates.

Sartell school officials say the district can reinstate the requirements for masking for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status based on various factors. Those factors include State of Minnesota COVID-19 positivity rate; Stearns County COVID-19 positivity rate; Stearns County positive cases; School District positive cases; School Buildings positive cases; Stearns County and School District vaccination rates.

Students and staff who test positive for COVID will be required to quarantine from the school for five days and must wear a mask for the next five days when in buildings. The district put the mask mandate in place at the start of the school year.

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