GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — The end of the statewide mask mandate has given schools more of a choice on what to do in the classroom. However, some districts including the Green Bay Area Public School District, currently have no intention of loosening their face mask guidelines in the weeks ahead.
For the better part of a year, face masks have been a requirement for indoor public spaces across the state. But those guidelines are now changing in places like Calumet County.
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"Outside of the school districts I am not aware of any mandates or anything like that in place. Except for some of your larger box stores in our area," says Calumet County's Public Health Officer Bonnie Kolbe.
Health Officer Kolbe says her department is still recommending that schools across Calumet County require face masks on school grounds. She says national guidance from the CDC continues to support the decision, a proven method in slowing the spread of the virus, at least for now.
"Soon masking indoors might be taken away as a mitigation measure. But, at this point, we have received nothing from the CDC to recommend that, or DHS to recommend that," adds Kolbe.
And some school district leaders, including the Green Bay Area Public School District, don't envision a mandatory requirement changing for this school year.
"So right now, I would say that would definitely be in place until the end of the school year. We have four weeks left and I think our hope is to finish the school year strong," says GBAPSD's Director of Communications Lori Blakeslee.
Blakeslee says the GBAPSD's leadership is currently discussing the potential of lifting the requirement that has kids and staff wearing masks both outdoors and inside school property. She adds that a decision is highly unlikely to take place within weeks but it could happen by this summer or fall if recommendations from healthcare leaders are adjusted.
"We take input from the CDC, we take input from our local health department. We have school nurses we work very closely with to get their guidance as well," says Blakeslee.
For now, though, most school districts will continue waiting for guidance from state and local health care leaders for instruction. But even those who fully embraced the requirement believe that the face mask requirements could change quickly if it comes from the national level.
"We are just following the CDC guidelines and if the CDC relaxes things it will be relaxed everywhere," adds Kolbe.
