updated mask policy

In an effort to better serve the students of the El Dorado School District and use data more specific to the district, the El Dorado School Board unanimously voted to adopt the COVID ACHI Resolution Friday, December 3rd during a special called board meeting.

This resolution will change the way the El Dorado School District determines whether or not students wear masks while indoors. Based on the current data from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI), the District will follow the trend table referencing the rates of new known infections for a 14-day period per 10,000 residents located within the boundaries of the El Dorado School District. 

What does this mean?

The trend table uses a color scale:

These colors represent the number of new cases per 10,000 residents who reside in the district. As of November 29, 2021, ESD had 20 new cases. The data is updated weekly, based on a 2-week time period, so the latest data represent the two previous weeks of new cases. 

How does this apply to masks?

The current trends will determine whether or not students are wearing masks. 

What the colors mean:

NO MASKS

MASKS DEPENDING ON THE PREVIOUS TRENDS

MASKS

Dark Green

Yellow

Red

Light Green

Orange

Purple

For example, if the trends show Dark Green or Light Green, it is an automatic NO MASK. However, if in the next reporting period, there is a spike, and the trend color is Red/Purple, it is an automatic MASK. 

The Yellow/Orange trends are based on trending down/trending up number of cases. If the district has TWO Orange reporting periods in a row, masks will be required. In the following report, if the trend moves to Yellow, masks will be required until the next data is available. If the next report is Yellow, masks will be recommended, but optional. 

If the trend is Orange/Yellow/Orange, there will be no mask requirement, because there was a decrease in trends between the two upward reporting periods. 

If the previous trend was Red, the next period is Orange, there will still be a mask requirement for that period. The mask requirement will stay in place until the trending color is Yellow, Light Green, or Dark Green. Once it reaches Yellow, Light Green, or Dark Green, the mask requirement will be lifted. 

As the weekly data comes out, a decision will be made for the following report. Decisions will be posted to the website and all district social media accounts. 

Masks are still strongly recommended and encouraged for all while indoors and on buses.

So what happens now?

Based on data from the last two reporting periods, the El Dorado School District will NOT require masks beginning Sunday, December 5th. 

The data will continue to be monitored. If and when there are changes, students, parents, staff, and the community will be notified via the El Dorado School District website and social media pages.

Masks are still recommended and encouraged for all students, staff, and visitors while indoors and on buses.