Wauwatosa School Board Adopts COVID-19 Plan, Masking Possible

WAUWATOSA, WI — The Wauwatosa School Board on Monday voted 7-0 to adopt a plan to mitigate the coronavirus's spread.

The plan would require masks if student infection rates reach certain thresholds during the 2021-'22 school year.

If cases are in the "high" category — 100 to 749 cases per 100,000 people in a seven-day period — the Wauwatosa School District can require masks for all people indoors, the plan said. If cases reach "high" or "extremely high," the district could even shut schools down.

The district will introduce five tiers of requirements depending on the infection rate. The highest tier involves cancelling field trips and school events and switching to virtual learning, the plan said.

The district's first day of school is Sept. 1. The school board will meet again Aug. 23.

"We will have to try and work in an environment where we have to deal with COVID-19," Wauwatosa schools Superintendent Demond Means said at the meeting. "What we don't want to do is continue to have our children not have a good school experience. Children need to be in-person at school five days a week, and that's our goal."

So far, four Milwaukee area school districts have decided to require masks indoors: Milwaukee Public Schools, Shorewood School District, Whitefish Bay School District and the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District.

See Also: Shorewood School District Now Requires Masks For All Indoors