HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Feb. 17, 2022) – Masks will soon be optional in Holland Public Schools.
The district announced on Wednesday that the requirement for all students, teachers, staff and visitors to wear face coverings as a COVID 19 health protocol will be dropped on Monday. In a letter sent to “HPS Families,” Interim Superintendent Nick Cassidy said that the expiration of the state’s public health advisory on masking indoors, as well as the Ottawa County Department of Public Health considering adjusting isolation requirements for those who test positive for the novel coronavirus, led to this decision.
“Our seniors haven’t had a normal school year since they were freshmen,” Cassidy explained on “WHTC Talk of the Town” earlier this week. “Our first graders have never seen school without masks. We also know that this could be a source of anxiety for some of our staff members and even families as we look at moving forward on this.”
Masking will still be required on public transportation due to federal rules, and mitigation efforts in school buildings will still be in place. In addition, Cassidy said in bold type that, “it is imperative to model and teach that negative comments or judgment towards an individual’s choice to mask, or not, will not be tolerated.”
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