The Oregon Health Authority announced a new masking policy that will require all students to wear masks, and all staff and volunteers to be vaccinated in K-12 schools.
In a news release issued from OHA on Friday, Jan. 28, state health officials emphasized that the rule filing will maintain masking protections during the current Omicron surge while state officials are developing measures to determine when it may be safe to lift the school mask rule.
This new permanent rule will replace the previous temporary rule [which was only valid for 180 days] that expired on Friday.
Kelly Lacey, Communications Coordinator for the Corvallis School District, said, “At this time we do not expect these decisions to change the current policy in place, as our district follows the guidelines from Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Education. Our staff have been consistently following these guidelines during the pandemic and we anticipate they will continue to do so.”
Another district in Benton County, Alsea School District, has made headlines when the state pulled their COVID-19 relief funding after the district announced they would not be requiring students to wear masks.
“Governor Brown and the OHA have a clear agenda: Nullify the Oregon State Constitution and create regulations through OHA that allow the State to Pass whatever it wants as long as they declare an emergency,” said Alsea Superintendent Mark Thielman. “The people of Oregon NOW must ASK for permission from the Government to be free to make their own decisions regarding their health, welfare, and safety. In Alsea, our School Board chose to take a stand and took back local control of COVID policy and declared Masking to be Optional and Parents to be the determinant of the efficacy of masking for their student(s).”
Thielman said the district will maintain its current masking policy and will review the policy implementation and make adjustments as needed on a weekly basis.
By: Jennifer Williams
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