Until further notice, all students, staff, and other people present in school buildings and district offices or riding on school transportation vehicles are required to wear a face covering.

Staff, students, and other people present in the school building or in district offices may temporarily remove their face covering or face shield in the following situations:
  • Face coverings may be temporarily removed when engaging in indoor physical activity (e.g., during recess, after school sports, or when exercising in a gym) where the level of exertion makes wearing a face covering difficult, and during classes or activities held outdoors. People participating in these activities should maintain 6 feet of distance while doing so to the extent feasible.
  • Pre-kindergarten students age 5 years and younger participating in programming in a school building or district office. Pre-kindergarten children who are at least 2 years old may wear face coverings if they can do so in compliance with CDC guidance on How to Wear Cloth Face Covering (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-to-wear-cloth-face-coverings.html) (e.g., without frequently touching or removing the covering).
  • Face coverings may be temporarily removed to eat or drink, but care should be taken to maintain as much space as possible between people, recognizing it is not always feasible to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.
  • During indoor practices or performances involving singing, acting, public speaking, or playing musical instruments where a face covering cannot be used while playing the instrument. Performers should maintain 6 feet or greater of physical distance from others while participating in the activity to the extent possible, and should replace their face covering as soon as the activity is completed.
  • People who are entering the school building during the day may be required by school staff to briefly remove their face covering for the purposes of checking identification.
  • Staff working alone in their offices, classrooms, vehicles, or other job locations who do not have any person-to person interaction.
  • Staff working in communal spaces (e.g., at desks or in cubicles) that have barriers such as plexiglass or cubicle walls between employees that are above face level.
  • When communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing or has a disability, medical condition, or mental health condition that makes communication with a face covering difficult, provided that social distancing is maintained to the extent possible.
Types of allowable face coverings include:
  • Paper or disposable mask;
  • Cloth face mask;
  • Scarf;
  • Bandana;
  • Religious face covering

The covering should cover the nose and mouth completely, should not be overly tight or restrictive, and should feel comfortable to wear. A face covering is not meant to substitute for social distancing, but is especially important in situations when maintaining a 6-foot distance is not possible. Face coverings should not be placed on anyone under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, anyone who is incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the face covering without assistance, or anyone who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition.

A face shield (a clear plastic barrier that covers the face) allows visibility of facial expressions and lip movements for speech perception and may be used as an alternative to a face covering in the following situations:
  • Among students in Kindergarten through grade 8, when wearing a face covering is problematic.
  • By teachers (all grades), when wearing a face covering may impede the educational process.
  • For staff, students, or visitors who cannot tolerate a face covering due to a developmental, medical, or behavioral health condition.
  • For staff providing direct support student services, when a face covering impedes the service being provided. For optimal protection, the face shield should extend below the chin anteriorly, to the ears laterally, and there should be no exposed gap between the forehead and the shield’s headpiece.