XCS Makes Masks Optional Effective February 9
Posted on 02/08/2022
Below, please find the email sent to all families today from Dr. Lofton:
Dear Xenia Family,
I am reaching out today to let all XCS families know that effective Wednesday, February 9, 2022, masks will be optional for students and staff.
As I have often stated throughout the past two years, we will pivot toward layering more protections when the situation warrants, but we will also ease up on those precautions as the situation continues to evolve. In our area and across the state, the numbers of active cases are trending in the right direction, allowing us to make a change at this time.
Moving forward, the district will continue to gather data and adjust protocols as needed. We will continue to track active exposures in compliance with the Mask to Stay, Test to Play guidelines from the Ohio Department of Health, and follow the best guidance of public health experts.
Families should note that this protocol change does not impact those who fall under those ODH guidelines, or provide any legal exemption from the mask requirements of any public health or other legal authority having jurisdiction. For example, masks are still required on buses and other public transportation. Anyone who has been exposed to COVID must continue to follow the Mask to Stay protocol to stay in school, including consistently and properly wearing a mask to keep others safe.
I understand that many members of our community will have mixed feelings about this change, and that is entirely understandable. Change, even change that is welcome in many ways, can be hard on children and adults alike. But like schools across the country, we are learning to manage COVID in ways we could not have imagined even a year ago, essentially finding ways to live with it as safely as possible over the long-term.
Students and staff who choose to continue wearing masks are encouraged to do so. If you can be vaccinated, I encourage you to do that as well. Beyond that, I am asking that every member of our community continue taking precautions that prevent the spread of COVID, as well as the many other contagious illnesses that interrupt day-to-day learning that have likely been minimized by our current health hygiene protocols.
One of the best ways we can continue to care for one another is to take the common-sense precautions that have always been in place for schools. Wash your hands, keep areas clean and disinfected, and — perhaps most importantly — stay home when you are sick.
Thank you for your support, continued diligence, and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gabriel Lofton, Superintendent