Cordell School Enacts Mask Mandate

Cordell School offcials last week issued a mask mandate for all students, teachers and staff as the number of positive cases has risen.

School Supt. Brad Overton pointed to several positive tests recently and a significant number of students especially having to be quarantined.

He said, “Until last week (Oct. 9) we’d had very little. Three students actually had been to school that tested positive for COVID since the start of the school year. We don’t think they got it here, but we can’t be sure.”

“We also had 31 students that had quarantined up to that point. But a football player tested positive on that Friday (Oct. 9), so the football game that night had to be postponed and also the Oct. 15 game as well. Eight other football players had to be quarantined,” he noted.

Overton explained, “As a result of that student testing positive, we had to quarantine 17 more students due to their being exposed to that student.”

He said, “Someone is required to go on quarantine if they have been in close contact, within six feet for 15 minutes, with someone who has tested positive, according to CDC guidelines.”

The superintendent said on Monday, the 12th, another 25 were quarantined and five more tested positive. Two additional staff members had to quarantine because of the football player testing positive.

“Our Board approved our Return to Learn Plan in August,” Overton stated. “In that plan, if we’re in the yellow category, masks are recommended. When it goes to orange, which it has, masks are required.

“The plan lays it out according to the color codes put out by the state.”

He said his responsibility is to follow the policy and procedures approved by the board.

He believes, “The kids are complying nicely with the mask mandate. The mandate requires all students, Pre-K though 12, along with teachers and staff to have a mask on when in the buildings. Our teachers in Pre-K through 2nd grade will use their discretion on mask breaks for their kids.”

He knows everyone doesn’t like it.

But he pointed out, “We are trying to keep kids in school. We’re going to do all we can to keep them here.”

Overton said the mask mandate will be evaluated week to week.

“We’ve had a total of seven students on campus with the virus, and currently 64 are in quarantine. We’ve had a total of 95 quarantined this school year,” the superintendent said.

Overton said total enrollment in the district is 626. “The Junior High and High School students have seven class periods with different students in each class, that leads to more contact with students resulting in more students required to quarantine,” he said.

Overton said on Monday, Oct. 12, it was decided to put the mask mandate in place that became effective Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Last Thursday, the day before the district began its fall break on Friday, he pointed to “Another 18 students have been quarantined this week.”