Masks made mandatory by KIBSD for upcoming school year

Students and staff at Kodiak public schools will mask up this coming school year.

Superintendent Larry LeDoux announced today (TUESDAY) that masks will be mandatory for all vaccinated and unvaccinated staff and students in school buildings and on buses. The announcement said that exceptions may be made with certain students’ individual education plans in mind.

The universal masking policy comes on the heels of yesterday’s announcement by the Anchorage School District of a similar policy, and as COVID-19 cases continue to surge around the state and Kodiak Island.

KIBSD’s revised policy also includes quarantine and testing expectations for individuals. For instance, vaccinated individuals do not need to quarantine if they are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for the virus, and don’t need a negative test to return to school after traveling. Unvaccinated individuals, however, will need to quarantine after a close contact, but not after traveling if not displaying symptoms.

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals will need to quarantine if they test positive.

The school district says they developed this policy based on information from the CDC and the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, along with their Medical Advisory Committee.

Members of KIBSD’s administration will be on KMXT’s Lowdown to answer questions about the new policy and the new school year. Tune in Wednesday at 9am right here on KMXT.