For the past few months, we were told by the Governor that schools would have local control. The district has operated under this premise and our philosophy has been that concerns such as masks for kids are a personal and family decision. With that being said, Governor Mike DeWine announced today that masks will be required for all students in grades K-12.
There are certain exemptions that will apply:
1.) Under the age of 2
2.) Unable to remove a mask without assistance
3.) A child with significant behavior or psychological issue undergoing treatment that is exacerbated specifically by the use of facial covering
4.) A child living with severe autism or extreme developmental delay who may be agitated by the wearing of a face covering.
5.) A child with a facial deformity that causes an airway obstruction.
There are no exemptions or diagnoses beyond the ones mentioned above.
Please keep in mind that these are Governor DeWine’s orders. If you have issues with the rules, you should contact his office or your state legislators.
As a result of this announcement, there may be some of you now considering the online option. We will extend the deadline to enroll in the St. Marys Online Option until 3pm Friday. If you are wanting to enroll in this program, please review the previous released Restart Plans and the explanation of the Online Program. You may then call Mindy Thiebeau at 419-394-4312 (Superintendent’s Office) and register for this by 3pm Friday, August 7th.