A mandatory mask rule enacted by the Hancock County Board of Education will continue for two more weeks. The mask mandate was enacted at an emergency meeting September 8 and the Board agreed to evaluate the mandate at the September 27th meeting. Citing a 75% reduction in students being quarantined, the Board voted four to one to continue that mandate for another two weeks. Board member Chris Gillette was the sole vote against continuing the mandate.
Mask are required for all students, personnel and visitors in school buildings and school transportation. Prior to masks being mandated in the school system, 42 positives had resulted in 551 quarantines. Following the mandate, positives included 31 in all three elementary schools with 24 quarantined; 22 positives in both middle school with 67 quarantined; and 18 positives at both high schools with 55 quarantined. Superintendent Dawn Petrovich noted that the total of 156 quarantined included 38 football players who opted to ride to a game in a private vehicle rather than the school bus and did not wear masks in the private vehicle.
In other business, the Board:
**Approved Gina Brecht as a 7th grade science teacher at Oak Glen Middle;
**Approved Candace Dotson as National Honor Society sponsor at Weir