SD57 encourages mask use in grades K-3 but will not enforce it

School District 57 will not be following the steps of the Vancouver School District in making face masks mandatory for students of all ages.

Despite the increase in COVID-19 cases among school-aged children in the North, SD57 Board Chair Sharel Warrington says the district will be sticking with the current provincial guidelines that only require mask usage for grades 4-12.

Additionally, all staff and faculty members working with all grades are required to wear them.

“We encourage face masks and we are ensuring that our schools are being kept clean. We still have very robust cleaning processes within our schools and so in terms of the decision that the Vancouver School Board has made, our decision is to continue with the requirements of the health officer and encourage face masks at K-3,” she stated.

According to Warrington, the school board knows there is a concern in the community about the increasing COVID-19 numbers in the North.

“Parents are concerned, teachers are concerned and we are concerned. We want to see our schools not have to face these issues around Covid but we are doing everything we can to ensure our schools stay clean, safe, and places for learning.”

The board meeting took place last night (Tuesday), and discussions on the upcoming by-election to elect new trustees also took place.

“We are just in the process of hiring an officer to do the work, and we haven’t yet been able to secure that person. Once that process is in place, the process for the byelection will start,” added Warrington.

No candidates have been announced yet, but the board recently stated the byelection will take place sometime this fall season.

This electoral process is being held since previous Board Chair, Trent Derrick and Vice-Chair Shuirose Valimohamed resigned after a report found many examples of behaviors and practices that are clearly discriminatory and systemically racist within School District 57.