August 25, Update on the OCHD Mask Order

Dear Wildcat Nation,

 

We have heard from many of our stakeholders over the past 24 hours. We know some of you were relieved to hear the county-mandated masks and feel it is a safer option. We heard from others who are upset about masking and do not support the county’s mandate. As a public school district, we represent ALL of you in our community. It is imperative we keep our doors open to safely educate all of your children. That is our first priority and we will do everything in our power to reach that goal.

We have communicated from the beginning of this pandemic that we will follow all health orders. While we have received recommendations in the past, this was the first health order our district has received from the county level. Since the order’s dissemination, school districts across the county have received interpretive guidance from legal counsel outlining the scope of the mandate as well as penalties for non-compliance. It was communicated to us by multiple law firms that we would risk punitive measures including fines and, more importantly, school closure if we do not comply with the order. This is an unacceptable potential outcome as we are not willing to jeopardize the educational opportunity of every Oxford student.

In light of new guidance and clarification the district has received today interpreting the mandate, our school board members do not see a purpose in holding an unscheduled board meeting tomorrow evening. We are taking the rest of this week to determine the best way to move forward together as a community under this order. We delayed enforcement of the mandate until Monday, August 30 because we knew many of you need time to prepare and to have conversations with your children about masks, especially since some of our students attended virtually last year. Additionally, district administration needs time to prepare for the implementation and enforcement of this order. We are also using this time to prepare our transfer process as we have received inquiries about changing schools within the district. We have limited space at our virtual academy this fall and anticipate a lottery if there is a larger number of students seeking spots there.

We will provide additional guidance on this order before the end of the week. We will also provide a mask exemption form as we have in the past and will require the proper medical documentation outlined in the order.

We are committed to continuing to operate with excellence and are working together to provide great opportunities for students. Just like we experienced over the last 18 months, the only way through this is together.

 

Oxford Strong,

Tim Throne, Superintendent & Tom Donnelly, School Board President