MASK MANDATE RESOLUTION  

This resolution shall be effective from January 11, 2022 until the JPS positivity rate is less than .3% of the combined student/staff population. The resolution will provide an avenue to review the district mask mandate approximately every 2 weeks.

Criteria to ENTER into a Mask Mandate:  When .3% or more of the combined student/staff population is positive after reviewing ONE week of data.

Criteria to EXIT a Mask Mandate:  When less than .3% of the combined student/staff population is positive after reviewing TWO weeks of data.

The .3% is based on the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement’s (ACHI) trend table for Rates of New Known Infections for a 14 day period per 10,000 residents.   

The Mask Mandate will apply to all students, employees, and adults on a school campus.

FACE COVERINGS FOR STUDENTS 

All students in Pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade will be required to wear face covering regardless of vaccination status: 

(a) during the school instructional day and (b) during daily school-provided transportation. 

All masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the student. 

Students shall wear masks and face coverings at all times except for the following: 

• Students may remove masks and face coverings for eating or drinking; 
• Students may remove masks and face coverings when appropriate social distancing measures are in place as determined by a JPS staff member; 
• Students may be exempt from this Mask Mandate by the school administration due to a documented medical condition and/or special behavioral or individualized needs of the student; 
• Students may remove masks and face coverings on a case-by-case basis for specific instructional needs, including physical education and extracurricular activities, as determined by a JPS staff member.

Staff will promote appropriate mask wearing by modeling daily. In the event students forget to wear their masks to school, masks will be distributed as needed on campuses. 

EMPLOYEES 

All district employees will be required to wear a mask or face covering regardless of vaccination status. 

All masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the employee during the school instructional day.

Employees shall wear face coverings at all times except for the following: 

• Employees may remove masks and face coverings for eating and drinking; 
• Employees may remove masks and face coverings when appropriate social distancing measures are in place- i.e. working in an office; or outside away from others 
• Employees may only be exempted from this mandate by the Superintendent due to a documented medical condition of the employee.

Masks are encouraged, but not required at school sponsored events after school hours (athletics, fine arts, extracurricular, etc.)

All,

Welcome Back!  I hope you had a restful break and enjoyed some quality time with your family and loved ones. 

As we return, COVID numbers are on the rise in Craighead County.  We know a number of you may have already been directly impacted by COVID over the holiday break.  We also know with the number of holiday gatherings in the past two weeks, we might anticipate a rise in not only COVID cases, but also those who will be required to quarantine. 

Because of these factors, we are encouraging (but not requiring) staff and students to wear masks around others until the numbers decline.

The following is the latest guidance regarding both Isolation and Quarantine protocols. If you have any specific questions, I would encourage you to contact your school nurse.

If You Test Positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)

    EVERYONE (regardless of vaccination status):

• You must stay home for 5 days.
• If you have no symptoms at the end of 5 days, you may return to school.
• You should continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.  You must be fever free for 24 hours before returning to school.

If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)

 If You are FULLY VACCINATED:

• You do not have to quarantine unless you start showing symptoms.

If you develop symptoms, you should get a test and stay home.

     If You are UNVACCINATED:

• You should stay home for 5 days.  If you don’t show symptoms, you can return on the 6th day. 
• After that, you should continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.

If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.

I know if you are like me, you are COVID weary.  We are now approaching two years of this dark cloud that seems to linger over every aspect of our life.  We have a challenge like no other....keeping kids safe while receiving in-person instruction.  We continue to be committed to providing your child the safest learning environment possible! 

Thank you for your continued support of the Jonesboro School District!

The Jonesboro School Board met this evening and reviewed data regarding COVID numbers in our district. The numbers have been trending downward since the beginning of the school year. The board also took into consideration results from parent and teacher surveys regarding our current mask mandate. It has been decided by the board after reviewing all the information that the mask mandate will expire at end of day on Friday, November 19. After this date, masks may still be worn but are not required. If our numbers change in the future, the board will review data and reinstate the mandate if necessary. #CaneInfo

Our JPS School Board voted tonight to accept the following mandate:

MASK MANDATE RESOLUTION  

This resolution shall be effective from August 11, 2021 until the end of the 2021-22 school year.  The resolution will provide an avenue to review the district mask mandate approximately every 30 days or at each regularly scheduled meeting of the Jonesboro Public Schools Board of Directors. 

The Jonesboro Board of Directors will consider the recommendations and guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), the Arkansas Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and other local health officials in the decision making process as well as the current level of Covid-19 in our district and community in making the decision. 

The mask mandate will apply to all students, employees, and adults on a school campus.

STUDENTS 

All students in kindergarten through the 12th grade will be required to wear a face covering regardless of vaccination status: 

(a) while attending school or a school function in any school building, facility or other area of a school campus, and (b) when riding in school-provided transportation. 

All masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the student. 

Students shall wear masks and face coverings at all times except for the following: 

• Students may remove masks and face coverings for eating or drinking. 
• Students may remove masks and face coverings when appropriate social distancing measures are in place as determined by a Jonesboro School District staff member. 
• Students may be exempt from this Mask Mandate by the school administration due to a documented medical condition and/or special behavioral or individualized needs of the student. 
• Students may remove masks and face coverings on a case-by-case basis for specific instructional needs, including: recess, physical education, extracurricular, and athletic activities, as determined by a Jonesboro School District staff member.

Students who fail to wear face coverings when necessary under this Mask Mandate could be subject to measures consistent with District Policy. 

EMPLOYEES 

All district employees will be required to wear a mask or face covering regardless of vaccination status while working or attending a school function in any school building, facility or other area of a school campus. All masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the employee:

(a) while attending school or a school function in any school building, facility or other area of a school campus.

Employees shall wear face coverings at all times except for the following: 

• Employees may remove masks and face coverings for eating and drinking. 
• Employees may remove masks and face coverings when appropriate social distancing measures are in place- i.e. working in an office; or outside away from others. 
• Employees may be exempted from this mask mandate by the Superintendent due to a documented medical condition of the employee. 

Employees who fail to wear face coverings when necessary at school or at school functions under this mask mandate could be subject to measures consistent with District Policy.

GENERAL PUBLIC

Masks will only be mandated at large indoor events where social distancing is not possible. 

Masks will not be required at outdoor activities.

Please visit the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement website at: https://achi.net/covid19/ for the lastest information regarding COVID-19 for school districts in Jonesboro and the Jonesboro community. Thank you.

Jonesboro Public Schools COVID Update

June 15, 2020

The Jonesboro School District received notification of a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 concerning one of our students. Health Department officials will notify any student who has been in close contact with the individual. For the privacy of students and staff, Jonesboro Schools will not be sharing any personal information publicly.  We have suspended activities at the location in order to sanitize and disinfect for the return of our students. We are committed to providing a safe environment and will follow the guidance provided by the Arkansas Department of Health, CDC and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

SUMMER MEAL Information: May 25 - 29 we will be closed for meal service and resume on June 1st.  Summer service will be Mon-Thurs and we will provide four breakfast and four lunch on Thursday to take families through the weekend. Locations will remain the same. Thank you.

• Letter to JHS Class of 2020

• JPS End of Year Plan due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Elementary K-6 AMI:

Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) will continue through the remainder of the school year. Students in grades K-6 will continue with the PBS curriculum until May 1st.  During the weeks of May 4-15, the JPS Curriculum Team will work with lead teachers to create a video series that is similar to Arkansas AMI. The instructional materials and expectations for student work will be comparable to the PBS materials. Teachers will use the week of May 18-22 to collect student materials, devices, and upload grades.

Students will be given a Pass or Fail for submitted weekly assignments. Teachers will assign a Pass or Fail for the end of quarter and semester grades.

Secondary:

Students in grades 7-11 will continue with Google Classroom or Edgenuity until May 15th. No semester exams will be given. Teachers will use the week of May 18-22 to collect student materials, devices, and upload grades. Regular grading will remain in place through the end of the school year. Students will receive additional information on the collection of technology devices. 

Seniors (and students enrolled in CTE, Concurrent or AP courses): 

Seniors will attend school, virtually, until April 15, 2020, if they are in good standing to graduate. During this time, our expectation is that assignments made through Google Classroom, AP Classroom, or Edgenuity will be completed to the best of your ability. We also expect that any missing work will be submitted. You should expect grades and feedback to be rendered for these assignments.  

• Seniors currently enrolled in CTE courses preparing for industry certifications will be contacted by their instructors concerning the format for those assessments. A “completer” designation is still solely dependent upon the completion of coursework. 
• Seniors enrolled in concurrent courses will still receive college credit so long as the coursework assigned by teachers via Google Classroom is fully completed and submitted on time. 
• Students enrolled in AP courses will still have the ability to test for college credit. Students will be taking online-based, 45-minute exams during the weeks of May 11-22. These exams can be taken from home using school-issued computers, personal tablets, or personal smartphones. Expect more correspondence concerning concurrent and AP courses from your teachers and administrators as the year progresses.

You will receive communication concerning how to turn in your computers in an orderly fashion before your diplomas are issued. Graduation is a topic currently being discussed by JPS administrators, and you should expect more details concerning how diplomas will be issued as we move closer to your last day.

Breakfast and Lunch Program:

The district will continue to provide meals at multiple sites through the district.  Please share this information. 

Food Sites Include:

MicroSociety: 11:00-12:00
Annie Camp Jr. High School: 11:00-12:00
AC is now a WALK-UP Site. 
Word Baptist Church: 11:00-12:00
Cedar Heights: 11:00-12:00
Parker Park: 11:00-12:00
Arrowhead and Duncan Roads 11:00-12:00
Fire Station at Brazos: 11:00-12:00

Important Dates to Remember:

April 15 - Last Day for Seniors

May 1 - Last Day for PBS delivery of AMI

May 4-15 - District delivery of AMI (more info to follow)

May 15 - Last Day for AMI instruction

May 18-22 - Turn in all assignments, Collect Technology Plan Awards Ceremonies and Celebrations