The Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 board of education will consider optional masking at all buildings in the district.
Superintendent Dr. Marvin Wade is presenting an updated pandemic response plan to the board during its Feb 16 meeting. The recommendation would remove universal masking mandates in the district and replace it with optional mask wearing. Exceptions include Early Learning sites and in USD 383 transportation vehicles,
The meeting packet states the move comes from decreasing metrics, such as cases and hospitalizations. However, it does still recognize the higher number of current cases, calling this change a “calculated risk.”
Wade’s recommendation has been presented to representatives of the district, Riley County Health Department, and local physicians. Support from Medical Advisory is conditional, with expectations that mitigation measures will
be imposed quickly if there is a significant threat to in-person learning.
Along with the proposed plan, the board will hear input from the district’s medical advisory committee.
The district has had universal masking in place since early January, shortly before the county reported its highest increase in cases.
The meeting begins at 6:30 pm, on Feb 16.
