Oakwood schools return to mask requirements as COVID cases spike

Local and state health officials had strongly recommended districts require masks when returning to classes after the holiday break.

“After reviewing various recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, Ohio Health Department, area health professionals, Dayton Children’s Hospital, the Governor’s office and our nursing team, and considering the District’s need for subs and our current sub shortage, and the foreseeable uptick in cases, requiring masks for all students and staff is the best option for our District at this time,” Ramey wrote.

He said masks, plus staff implementing “multiple prevention strategies” as outlined by the CDC, will help assure we remain in school, in-person five-days a week.

In order to promote safe in-person learning, Oakwood Schools will, in addition to requiring masks, encourage students and staff:

Ramey acknowledged that no one wants to increase restrictions.

“We will continue to evaluate the situation in our area, and our hope is to move to masks being optional for all students and staff after this brief period of time,” he wrote.

In addition to temporarily requiring all students and staff to wear masks in school buildings during school hours, Oakwood Schools will be adopting the updated CDC and Ohio Department of Health quarantine guidelines. Those guidelines require anyone who tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status or symptoms, to isolate for at least five days. Isolation may end on the sixth day if the person “consistently wears a mask for the next five days.”

Ramey said the goal is to “keep healthy kids in school and sick students at home to recover, maintain in-person classes, continue extracurricular activities (games, matches, concerts, and field trips), and help curb this spike in COVID-19.”