Students in two more Ohio districts — Lockland Local Schools and Loveland City Schools — will be required to wear masks when they return to the classroom next week.
Loveland superintendent Mike Broadwater announced Saturday that all Pre-K-through-6th-graders in his district would be required to wear masks indoors starting Monday. Students in grades 7-12 are “strongly encouraged” to mask but can decide not to do so.
“The Board and I have received many, many emails about this issue over the last few weeks, and they have been very respectful,” Broadwater wrote in a statement. “We have read each of them. We are empathetic to the strong emotions involved in this issue because it relates to the safety of our children.”
Lockland Local Schools was more direct. In a Facebook post, the district announced that universal masking would be required starting on the first day of school, Wednesday.
“As of this afternoon, we have 28 students under quarantine, 2 confirmed cases, 3 more probable cases pending results & potentially 12 more students under quarantine pending those results in our high school,” according to the post, which later adds: “Starting our year with masks will help us keep kids in class and out of quarantine. It will also hopefully minimize the spread of the virus.”
