The Patoka School Board during a special meeting Thursday night voted to go “mask optional” unless the positivity rate of students and staff exceeds eight percent.
Superintendent David Rademacher anticipates once again getting a notice from the State Board of Education to begin the process of placing the district back on probation for not following the State Board of Education guidelines. Patoka had started the school year “mask optional”, but after being placed on probation
and having sports activities and loss of recognition threatened the board went back to requiring the masks.
The vote was four to two in favor of dropping the masks if the positivity rate was below eight percent. If that happens, Rademacher says the masks would then be required for two weeks before the situation is reassessed.
Rademacher who was teaching at the high school Friday morning due to teacher absences estimated only about 25-percent of the students were still wearing masks while most of the high school staff was still masking up.
As of Friday morning, the district had 12 positive COVID cases between teachers and staff. That’s a percentage of 4.53-percent. Several other students are quarantined due to a family member being positive. Rademacher says they will continue to try and maintain three feet distance between everyone in the buildings.
