VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – North Dakota Governor Burgum provided clear guidance to schools with regards to masks and social distance in a concerted effort to decrease the number of students identified as close contacts and thus placed in quarantine. This guidance clearly stated;

” When the positive case and close contact have both been wearing face covering consistently and correctly for the entire time, the close contact will not need to self-quarantine at home.”

The definition and guidance of being identified as a close contact (within six feet for more than 15 minutes) has not changed. Therefore, if anyone is within six feet of another individual within our school, they MUST be wearing a face mask. The only exceptions to these directives are when individuals (students and staff) are eating breakfast, lunch, snack breaks, and participating in physical activity (i.e. P.E and sports). In these situations, individuals within six feet from another individual who is identified as positive will be considered as a close contact and required to quarantine following NDDoH guidelines. We cannot be placing our students into quarantine because individuals (students and staff) choose to not follow these guidelines.

We understand that this new policy will require that students and staff members will be wearing masks more than they were before the new guidelines. Please know that mask breaks will be provided for students during the school day. Thank you for continuing to work together to allow our students to stay healthy and also have the opportunity to learn face-to-face with their peers and teachers in our schools.

If you have other questions regarding this update to our mask policy please let us know.

Josh Johnson

Superintendent

Valley City Public Schools

(701) 845-0483