School rules adjusted

Jeremy Gulley said Wednesday a lot could change in the next month.

It took less than 24 hours.

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday signed a new executive order that modified some of the mask-related rules regarding schools, most notably adjusting the social distance requirements. It came as part of an order that extended Stage 4.5 of the state’s Back On Track Indiana plan until Aug. 27.

In his order signed last week, Holcomb required masks for any student in third grade or older in situations where 6 feet of social distance could not be maintained.

In his order signed last week, Holcomb required masks for any student in third grade or older in situations where 6 feet of social distance could not be maintained.

Thursday’s order makes masks optional for students in classrooms if at least 3 feet of social distance can be maintained at all times and if students are positioned to face in the same direction. Masks are required for teachers and staff if at least 6 feet of social distance can’t be maintained.

In classroom situations where at least 3 feet of social distance cannot be maintained, thus making masks required, the order also gives teachers the discretion to permit a student to remove his or her mask on an intermittent or temporary basis.

“I think this announcement will mean more of our kids are coming back to school,” said Gulley, superintendent of Jay School Corporation. “That’s important.”

The rest of the governor’s order remains essentially the same, with masks required while riding a bus and during passing periods.

Masks are not required during lunch. They are also not required during recess if social distancing can be maintained.

For preschool through second grade students, masks are required only while riding buses. At other times, masks are “strongly encouraged” but not required.

The new rules will remain in effect “throughout the public health emergency” unless it is modified by Holcomb. The previous requirements would have expired Aug. 26.

The newest order came less than 24 hours after Jay School Board voted 5-1, with Chris Snow against and Mike Shannon absent, to update its reopening plan to bring it into compliance with last week’s executive order requiring masks when 6 feet of social distance was not possible and to delay the start of classes until after Labor Day.

Gulley, superintendent of Jay School Corporation, recommended the delay in part to allow the situation to settle down after Holcomb’s original mask mandate and to see what other changes might come about in the next month. He noted that a local survey seemed to show room for a middle ground, with most parents understanding masks would be required but preferring that their students not have to wear them for the entirety of the day.

In response to that, he said he had been working with Jay County Health Department to see if the state would allow masks to not be required in the classroom if 4 feet of social distance could be maintained. Jay Schools could get a “substantial amount” of its classrooms to that standard, he added.

Gulley expressed frustration during Wednesday night’s meeting that the suggested compromise had not been accepted. Thursday afternoon, he was pleased with the change.

“I think it gives us flexibility to bring people together, to get our schools started, where it was a very divisive issue,” he said.

The Jay Schools reopening plan will not need to be updated as it only referenced “social distance” rather than a specific measure, leaving that definition to be determined by the governor’s orders.

Gulley said Holcomb’s latest executive order has no impact on Wednesday’s decision by the school board to delay the start of the school year until Sept. 9. The goal of the delay was to allow staff more time to prepare for an increase in the number of students who choose the online-only option — the total was 8% as of mid-July but a survey in following Holcomb’s original executive order addressing masks indicated that number could at least triple. Gulley also noted that there may still be more changes and there could be, at some point, the need for extended e-learning such as at the end of the 2019-20 school year. (Jay Schools closed at the end of the day March 13 and remained shut down through the end of the year.)

“The only thing I was absolutely confident in (Wednesday) was the right call was going after Labor Day,” said Gulley.