The Lafayette County School District is requiring all students to attend in-person classes for 2021-2022 and have made masks optional for students and faculty.

The guidelines are included in the district’s Return to school plan, which was mandated by the Mississippi State Board of Education, which also set a policy requiring in-person learning as the primary method for educating students throughout the state.. 

The policies still leave virtual learning open and standards can be set by school districts for virtual learning days.

The LCSD’s Return to School Plan 2021-2022 states face masks are optional but the district will adhere to executive orders mandating face masks if the situation arises. 

Parents of children who are too young to take the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are advised by the Center for Disease Control to wear masks in public and limit contact with others. 

Children and teens 12 years and older are encouraged by the CDC to take the vaccine to reduce chance of infection and reduce the spread of the virus.

Students will be screened each day as they arrive at school and the district will provide hand sanitizer. Schools will follow social distancing protocols when applicable and thoroughly sanitize shared spaces and materials such as buses, tables and shared school supplies. 

Teachers will also teach and emphasize proper hand washing, covering coughs and covering faces to enforce good hygiene and reduce the spread of bacteria.

For more information on the Lafayette County School District’s Return to School Plan 2021-2022, visit www.gocommodores.org/resources/ReturnToSchool.