Mitchell School District reinstates mask mandate

MITCHELL, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Mitchell School District has reinstituted a mandate requiring masks to be worn in all district buildings to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Mitchell School Board voted 5-0 Monday night to enact the mandate, board president Deb Olson tells Dakota News Now.

All staff and students must wear masks for any indoor activities and on buses. It is similar to the mask rules the district enacted last year.

The district’s initial back to school safety plan did not include a mask mandate, but the board decided to bring it back due to rising COVID-19 case numbers in the state. There are currently over 4,300 active COVID-19 cases in South Dakota, according to the Department of Health, which is more than the state had at this time last year.

The mandate will take effect Sept. 1 and will remain in effect until Nov. 8, at which point the board will reevaluate the situation, Olson said.

Mitchell is the first public school district in South Dakota to require masks this school year.