Photo by Deb Gau MPS Superintendent Jeremy Williams went over plans to return to class during Tuesday’s school board meeting.

MARSHALL — While Marshall Public Schools aren’t starting the year with a mask requirement in class, school officials said they are still encouraging students and families to take precautions.

If factors like COVID-19 positivity rates get more severe during the school year, “We may have to increase masking or safety protocols,” said Superintendent Jeremy Williams.

Williams went over the school district’s “Return 2 Learn” plans with school board members on Tuesday afternoon. The district can’t rely on just one precaution to help keep students and staff safe, he said.

“We recognize that layered strategies are the most beneficial. The most important action that we’ve talked about is really staying home if you are sick or symptomatic, even if it’s not COVID. But if someone is sick, we really encourage staying home more than ever this year,” he said.

MPS students start class this week.

While masks aren’t required in class, Williams said MPS does encourage mask-wearing, especially for people who aren’t vaccinated for COVID-19. Under federal regulations, masks are required on public transportation like school buses, he said.

Last week, MPS sent out information on its COVID-19 mitigation plans to families in the school district, Williams said. MPS school principals also put together a short YouTube video talking about ways students and families can help prevent the spread of COVID.

Williams said MPS is starting the school year trying to keep to a minimum of three feet of social distancing as much as possible, doing additional cleaning and sanitizing, and encouraging hand-washing and using hand sanitizer.

If a student or staff member is infected with COVID-19, the school district will be following the Minnesota Department of Health’s decision-making tree to trace close contacts. However, students or staff who are vaccinated will have shorter quarantine times, as long as they don’t have symptoms.

The district may have to implement masking or other safety protocols if conditions become more severe during the school year, Williams said.

“This is really no small task. We know guidelines are changing,” Williams said. He said MPS will continue to monitor changes in COVID safety guidance.

In August, a small group of Marshall area parents and physicians had addressed the school board, asking them to reconsider starting the school year without a mask requirement. With the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreading across the country, Dr. Vincent LaPorte said he recommended masking and social distancing for at least the first part of the school year.

Williams and school board members said they had also received support from MPS families.

“I want to call out the support, and just how much we appreciate the support from the community, as we’ve been working through all of this,” he said.

When it comes to wearing masks in class, “I think it’s important that we leave it up to each individual family,” said school board member Matt Coleman.