St. Paul School Board Passes Mask Mandate Resolution In Unanimous Vote
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- One of Minnesota's largest school districts will require masks in all school buildings this year.
The St. Paul School Board voted unanimously Tuesday night in favor of the resolution, which will go into effect Wednesday.
The resolution states there will be "universal indoor masking for all people in a school setting (ages 2 and older), including all teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status."
"I think first and foremost for us, we're opening our school doors to begin a school year," Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard told WCCO. "We want to ensure that we're doing it safely and that we can keep the doors open, and keep students and families as safe as possible."
Minneapolis Public Schools enacted a similar mask mandate earlier this month. Rochester and Edina schools also passed similar resolutions Tuesday. Robbinsdale schools announced masks will be required for all pre-K-12 students over the age of two, as well as staff and visitors -- regardless of vaccination status. And Eden Prairie Schools announced they will require masks for students in sixth grade and younger, but masks are only recommended for older students.
State officials also announced Tuesday that COVID-19 tests will be made available for all schools to have on hand this year.
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