Dear Parents,
We have met four out of four benchmarks in the Kent City Schools to move our mask status from required to recommended/optional.
-We have had eight weeks showing a decrease in positive cases in Portage County from January 4, 2022 to February 22, 2022.
-We have had fewer than five positive cases reported on our dashboard for two consecutive weeks.
-Positive Covid-19 Cases are under 10% for ages 17 and younger for a two week period in the City of Kent.
-The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it is relaxing its mask guidance and now provides a tool to determine indoor masking risk level by county. Portage is currently at low risk.
In light of this information Kent City Schools will move to recommended/optional masking in school and on buses starting Tuesday, March 1, 2022. Our Mask to Stay, Test to Play guidelines will continue to require students to wear masks while attending school if exposed to Covid-19.
Please be advised that we will continue to review and monitor local, state and federal guidelines pertaining to Covid-19 restrictions and protocols. Should the numbers increase and/or guidance change, we may need to reinstate previous masking protocols for the protection and safety of our school community.
We are grateful for the decrease in positive cases in our schools and greater Kent community. Thank you for your patience, understanding and support as we have all navigated this pandemic together.
George Joseph
Superintendent