BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — For the first time, Kern County parents are getting more details about what their kids will face as they head back to school.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has long said that it recommends sending students back to in-person learning. Now state and local leaders are working to figure out what is safest for them.
California Department of Public Health Safety Measures for K-12 Schools: Masks
- Masks are optional outdoors for all in K-12 school settings.
- K-12 students are required to mask indoors, with exemptions per CDPH face mask guidance. Adults in K-12 school settings are required to mask when sharing indoor spaces with students.
- Persons exempted from wearing a face-covering due to a medical condition must wear a non-restrictive alternative, such as a face shield with a drape on the bottom edge, as long as their condition permits it.
- d. Schools must develop and implement local protocols to provide a face covering to students who inadvertently fail to bring a face covering to school to prevent unnecessary exclusions.
- Consistent with guidance from the 2020-21 school year, schools must develop and implement local protocols to enforce the mask requirements. Additionally, schools should offer alternative educational opportunities for students who are excluded from campus because they will not wear a face covering. Note: Public schools should be aware of the requirements in AB 130 to offer independent study programs for the 2021-22 school year.
- In limited situations where a face covering cannot be used for pedagogical or developmental reasons, (e.g., communicating or assisting young children or those with special needs) a face shield with a drape (per CDPH guidelines) can be used instead of a face covering while in the classroom as long as the wearer maintains physical distance from others. Staff must return to wearing a face-covering outside of the classroom.
One thing kids in Kern County can expect in class is no social distancing. But masks are back for teachers and students no matter your vaccination status.
"The state's updated guidance continues with an indoor mask mandate for students and for adults that are in the presence of students. Masks are optional for outdoor school settings. But they are required inside school buses for everybody," explained Rob Meszaros with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.
Keep in mind all public schools will follow these rules. 23ABC reached out to some private schools in the area but we have not heard back at this time.
