All students attending Warren Consolidated Schools (WCS) this fall will be required to wear face masks as COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Metro Detroit and Michigan.
Officials informed families Sunday that all WCS students, from pre-K through grade 12, must wear face masks while indoors and on school buses starting Monday, Aug. 23. School staff will also be required to wear face masks.
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In a letter to parents and families, WCS Superintendent Robert Livernois said that the decision came as several health experts, now including the Michigan Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics, are encouraging universal masking for the 2021-2022 school year to help prevent virus spread. Livernois said the region’s increased spread of COVID-19, largely driven by the delta variant, is of particular concern, as many students are not yet eligible to get vaccinated for the virus.
Members of the WCS community must now wear face masks amid indoor activities, fine arts and extra-curricular activities, and while in band and locker rooms, officials said.
The district has extended a deadline until Aug. 25 for families to decide if they want to participate in virtual or in-person learning in the fall. Visit WCS’ website here for the latest information.
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Michigan health officials have recommended universal mask wearing for all students and school staff in the fall, as COVID-19 cases trend upward once again. The state is not planning to issue a mask mandate at schools, however.
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Individual school districts have been left to decide if masks should be mandated or not at their schools. Several Michigan districts have announced plans to require masks at their schools.
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