FORT SMITH, Arkansas — With Gov. Asa Hutchinson expected to soon lift the statewide mask mandate in effect as part of COVID-19 precautions, Fort Smith Public Schools has decided to leave their mandate in place at least through the end of the school year.
Deputy Superintendent Martin Mahan said the administration has been meeting with building leaders and met with a committee of teachers and parents prior to spring break concerning whether to change any of the staff and student safety component of the district’s Ready to Learn plan submitted to the Arkansas Department of Health prior to the start of the 2020-21 school year.
The general consensus has been to keep things as they until the end of the semester, he said.
“There has been a lot of conversation recently in regards to watching the state and federal reaction to the changing dynamics of the data surrounding the global pandemic,” Mahan said during Monday’s (March 29) school board meeting. “All of our principals have stated that they would like to see us proceed with caution. They would like to recommend that we maintain our existing staff and student safety measures outlined in Ready to Learn until the end of the year because of the short timeframe until the end of the year.”
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