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FROM STAFF REPORTS

ALABASTER – Starting Friday, Oct. 8 at 3:30 p.m., masks will be optional in schools throughout the Alabaster City School district following a letter sent to parents on Wednesday night, Oct. 6.

ACS has been monitoring COVID-19 data closely in each of the schools since returning to school this year, while following proper protocols closely with social distancing and masking in that time.

Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers said in his letter to the parents that the school system has been encouraged by numbers the last couple of weeks, which led to the decision to drop the mask mandate and once again make them optional indoors.

The mandate will end at the end of Friday’s school day, but masks will still be required on school buses until further notice due to a federal mandate.

“Our goal is to keep our students and staff safe and healthy while keeping our schools open,” Vickers said in his letter. “Thank you in advance for your support and patience as we navigate through this public health crisis.”

The school system will continue to monitor positive cases in the school and community to determine if requiring masks indoor again will become necessary due to an increase in positive cases.

“We will continue to follow our ‘Plan for Continued In-Person Instruction’ to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Vickers said. “As such, we ask parents/guardians and employees to be the first line of defense with daily screenings for symptoms. If your student has symptoms of illness or if your student is awaiting COVID-19 test results or has tested positive for COVID-19, he or she should not attend school until cleared by a medical professional.”

If you have any questions about, you are asked to contact your school nurse.

Students who are asked to quarantine or isolate due to close-contact exposure should not attend school or on-campus activities.

Students are also asked to continue practicing preventative measures such as social distancing and proper hand hygiene in school and throughout the community.