Face coverings are now optional for students and staff at Seward schools.
The Seward School Board on May 10 voted to ease the district's mask mandate within school buildings, moving to make face coverings optional.
The board's decision came after more than hour of a public comment section, in which multiple concerns and complaints regarding the district's mandatory policy were heard. Support for the face covering mandate was offered, as well.
Following the public comment portion, Seward Public Schools Superintendent Josh Fields said that the move to optional face coverings would be feasible as the most recent Directed Health Measure issued by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services declared the entire state of Nebraska in the “green” zone, which is the lowest level of risk on the DHHS scale. Along with the loosening of restrictions statewide, Fields advised that the all staff wanting the vaccine are now fully vaccinated.
“One of the things we have said over and over again has been the safety of staff and students but with the quarantine rules changing, I think it is something we have to consider moving forward with and when the timing is is something the board has to think about,” he said. “There is a point and time when were' going to have to move forward and the question is when is that?”
The board ultimately voted, with four votes in favor and two opposed, to make masks optional for students and staff beginning May 11 for the remainder of the year and for summer school. The board agreed that the optional tag could be in place for the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year with the understanding that masks could again be made mandatory should the COVID-19 situation in the area worsen and statewide and local rules dictate so.
Additionally, the board voted to accept a bid for two new school buses. Nebraska Central Equipment submitted a $179,190 bid for two, 59 passenger buses, which the board unanimously accepted.
Fields said he was pleased with the bids, especially considering the economy related to new manufacturing and construction.
“We were concerned with dollar amounts going up with steel parts and construction costs being so high and we were hoping that wasn't going to occur,” he said. “We were glad to see those come in.”
The board also approved two contracts. Rich Eber will now serve as the assistant high school principal. He previously served as the high school's social studies teacher. Brandon Houdek was approved to fill Eber's spot as the new social studies teacher at the high school.
