Bonner Springs schools to implement mask mandate on Thursday

The Bonner Springs-Edwardsville School district will enact a mask mandate on Thursday, Aug. 12, according to an announcement on Wednesday.

The mandate will include pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students, all district staff and all visitors to the school buildings, according to the announcement.

Masks must be worn while inside school district facilities and when using district transportation, the spokesman stated. The school district also will follow all Kansas State High School Activities Association protocols on competition.

The mandate will be in place through Oct. 4, according to the announcement.

There will be an update on COVID-19 activity at all school board meetings, and evaluation of the issue will be ongoing, the spokesman stated. Any changes will be communicated as quickly as possible, according to the spokesman.

The first day of school in the district is Thursday, Aug. 19.

According to the district spokesman, the board has granted the superintendent the the power to make day-to-day mask determinations, regarding requirements for personal protective equipment, and will now follow up with an official vote at the next meeting. The next Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Board of Education meeting is Monday, Aug. 16.