HARTLAND, Mich. – The Hartland Consolidated School district’s first day of the 2021-22 school year was Aug. 18.
Since then, their COVID cases have spiked and hundreds of students have been forced to quarantine.
Despite being told that families could decide on mask use, Round Elementary has instituted a mask mandate after several students tested positive for coronavirus.
Read: Mask mandate issued for Hartland elementary school following positive COVID tests
Hartland Consolidated Schools superintendent Chuck Hughes wrote a letter to parents Thursday informing families of the change.
“Due to the number of quarantined teachers and students, I have mandated all students and staff wear a cloth mask over their nose and mouth while indoors at Round Elementary,” reads the letter in part. “We feel it necessary to take this precaution instead of shutting down the building.”
Read the entire letter from Hughes to the Hartland Consolidated Schools community right here.
Hughes said he has received pushback from parents over masks and vaccines.
Masks have continually been proven to be the most effective way of stopping COVID when indoors.
The response from families was mixed. For 7-year-old Hunter, the return to masks was unwelcome news.
“It was just really hot,” Hunter said. “Kids took them off all last year, so I think it seems pointless.”
The district will take a look at the mandate again after Labor Day Weekend.
More: Tracking Michigan school districts, colleges requiring masks for 2021-2022 school year