NewsCoronavirus

Actions

Independence School District implements temporary mask mandate

District cited staffing difficulties
Face Mask
Posted at 8:17 PM, Jan 14, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-14 21:17:42-05

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Students and staff in the Independence School District will have to wear masks when they return to classes on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

Superintendent Dr. Dale Herl made the announcement to families in a YouTube video on Friday.

Herl cited staffing struggles and difficulty in finding substitutes as the reason for implementing the temporary mask mandate.

"This discussion isn't about whether masks are effective or not," Herl said in the video. "And it's not a discussion on how severe or contagious the omicron variant is."

The mandate applies all students in the pre-K through 12th grade.

"If we as a district want to continue to offer in person learning, our best action is to temporarily reinstate the masking requirement," Herl said.

Herl did not indicate how long the mandate would be in effect.


We want to hear from you on what resources Kansas City families might benefit from to help us all through the pandemic. If you have five minutes, feel free to fill out this survey to help guide our coverage: KSHB COVID Survey.