Due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases in Kanawha County, KCS has issued a Mask Mandate for all students, faculty, and staff in all schools.
This Mask Mandate goes into effect on Friday, August 20th.
The following is a quote from the Schoology message that was sent by KCS to all users on Wednesday, August 18th.
Due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases in our community, beginning tomorrow [Thursday, August 19] Kanawha County Schools is asking that all students and staff in our system wear a mask. We will move to mandatory masking for everyone, PreK-12 as well as all KCS staff regardless of vaccination status, this Friday, Aug. 20. We will continue to evaluate the situation in Kanawha County and will adjust accordingly. Our priorities are student and staff health and safety, along with keeping our students in school as much as possible.
If a student cannot wear a mask for a legitimate reason that is documented with the school, that is still OK. Masks should be used in all situations unless there is a documented reason not to. Shields will not protect an individual from a quarantine.
School visitors are still welcomed, but should wear a mask at all times within the building. We will continue to follow the guidelines for not wearing masks outdoors, including recess and sports practices.
Athletic/extra-curricular teams can continue unmasked for outside practices, however we strongly suggest socially distancing or using small groups to reduce quarantining. For inside practice, students do not need to mask if they can socially distance. If they cannot distance, they will need to mask.