Students to stay masked through end of the school year

By Megan Kelley

Review Writer

Lake Orion Community Schools Superintendant Ben Kirby gave the final extended COVID-19 update plan of the school year at the district’s Board of Education meeting on June 2.

As a whole, the plan has not changed much from the plan from the meeting prior, mostly due to the continued improvement of Kirby’s guiding data.

The district has, however, removed the outdoor mask requirement and has changed their quarantine policy from those within six feet to those within three feet of a COVID-positive person.

“That certainly has decreased the number of quarantines that we have, and for us it really makes a lot more sense than the six feet. When you’re looking at a secondary classroom, it’s really those that are directly in front, directly behind, to the right, to the left. So, if we have a COVID-positive (student), typically, in that type of a setting, it’s roughly four students,” Kirby said.

At the time of the meeting, the district only had one elementary classroom that was quarantining after a COVID-positive case.

Additionally, across the district, Kirby reported 56 student quarantines and zero staff cases.

Kirby also said that the mask requirement will stay in place through the end of the school year on June 11.

“We continue to follow the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and OCHD (Oakland County Health Division) guidance, which does tell us that within the classrooms we still need to be wearing masks and we will do that through the remainder of the school year, June 11,” Kirby said.

“We’re looking forward to, obviously July 1, the mask mandate is going to be dropped. So, we’re really looking forward to that environment.”