RILEY COUNTY —Beginning Friday, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 will require all teachers, staff, students and visitors to wear masks at any indoor USD 383 facility, regardless of vaccination status, according to a statement from the school district Thursday morning.
"This significant mitigation measure is consistent with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control in response to rapidly increasing COVID numbers across the country," USD 383 said in their statement.
USD 305 Salina made a similar decision on Tuesday. The Shawnee Mission school board in the Kansas City area voted 6-1 on Monday night to also require masks in elementary schools but keep them optional in middle and high schools, where children are old enough to get vaccinated. The district has about 26,000 students and is the state’s third largest, behind Wichita and Olathe.
USD 383 said, "We are thankful that schools will soon be open five days per week for all students, and look forward to the future when vaccinations will be available to children under the age of twelve. In the meantime, we want to remind everyone that the two most important things we can do to keep our community safe from COVID is to get vaccinated when you are eligible and to wear a mask indoors."