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Masks optional for some: Tonganoxie USD 464 school board votes to lift mandate at THS; lower grades could see change with December meeting

By Shawn Linenberger - | Nov 10, 2021

Shawn Linenberger

Tonganoxie USD 464 school board members discuss plans for reopening school during their regular meeting Monday at the Tonganoxie Elementary School library.

Tonganoxie High School will go to masks optional in buildings beginning today.

Tonganoxie middle and elementary schools will continue with mask mandates for now, though the school board could change that with its next meeting in December.

USD 464 board members voted, 6-0, to implement Superintendent Loren Feldkamp’s recommendation to make masks optional in the high school while holding off on a decision in the lower grades for now. Basehor-Linwood approved a similar measure at its meeting Monday, the same night as Tonganoxie’s regular meeting.

Feldkamp said various COVID-19 numbers played into his recommendation. Vaccination availability also played into the decision. With vaccinations being available for youths 5 and older in the recent days, it’s thought that those offerings would help in making masks optional at the lower grade levels.

The topic has been a contentious one locally and nationwide.

Tonganoxie USD 464 started the school year with masks being optional, but changed course three days later after COVID-19 numbers spiked. Tonganoxie joined other Leavenworth County school districts in switching to mandated masks in school buildings, a move that always was a possibility with gating criteria heading into the 2021-22 school year.

McLouth USD 342 had to cancel its first two high school football games due to COVID-19 numbers and protocols, but numbers have dropped there as well. McLouth went to masks optional in school buildings in the middle of October.

The Leavenworth County Health Department offered its first walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic Monday for children ages 5-11.

A walk-in clinic for anyone 12 and older is available Friday as well at the health department, 500 Eisenhower in Leavenworth, though a shipment delay, the Moderna vaccine will not be offered Friday.