KENTWOOD, Mich. — Kentwood Public Schools students are set to return to the classroom in less than ten days.
With COVID-19 continuing to spread, Superintendent Kevin Polston penned a letter to the Kentwood community Tuesday sharing new health and safety precautions for the upcoming school year. One of those precautions is a mask mandate.
For now, staff, students and visitors are required to wear a mask while indoors, including while using KPS transportation. The new requirement is in line with similar decisions being made across the area. Grand Rapids Public Schools announced a mask mandate Monday.
Polston said the requirement will “help keep our students learning in-person.” He also said the safety of students, staff and community members is the top priority.
Students can be exempt from the policy if a parent or guardian provides documentation that the student cannot wear a mask due to medical conditions or that a face covering is detrimental to the wellbeing of their child.
The COVID-19 vaccine is not required for school enrollment of attendance, and students and staff will not be tested for the virus unless it is mandated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the Kent County Health Department or the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
Polston said more than 85% of staff at KPS are vaccinated.
Polston also provided the following list of health and safety strategies being implemented by KPS:
- Increased ventilation throughout KPS buildings.
- Increased nursing staff.
- Continuous deep cleaning in KPS buildings.
- Regular communication with the local health department to monitor conditions.
- Complying with guidelines and regulations such as mandating masks, encouraging regular hand washing, and maintaining distance in all our settings to the extent possible.
- More than 85% of our staff are vaccinated, which demonstrates our staff’s unwavering commitment to the safety of our students and families.
The COVID-19 transmission rate in Kent County was upgraded to “high” Tuesday, according to the CDC transmission map. The CDC defines “high” transmission as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people, or a positivity rate of 10% or greater in the past seven days.
The seven-day average for new cases increased more than 42% in the last week, with a positivity rate in the county sitting at just over 8%, according to the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). The seven-day average for new cases in the county is 103 per 100,000.
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