BR Diocese mask policy for schools is so dumb

Anyone else get the letter this morning that states unless your child is vaccinated a mask must be worn at all times (INSIDE and OUTSIDE)?

This is so fricking dumb. The kids have been around each other ALL summer long for camps and practices and never had a mask on and now it's back to the MASK up bull shite when kids don't even NEED the damn mask. I am so mad.

Committed to doing our part for the common good, the Diocese of Baton Rouge (“Diocese” or
“Diocesan”) under the leadership of Bishop Duca has since March 2020 accepted the Governor’s
invitation to help minimize the surge and spread of the coronavirus in Louisiana (the “State) by
adopting practices such as wearing masks and observing physical distancing. Further, the Bishop’s
focus on protecting each other included his suggestion that being vaccinated should be considered
as an act of charity toward others in our communities. As ministries of the Church and institutions
approved by the State Department of Education, Catholic schools in the Diocese have implemented
safety protocols with fidelity for the protection of students and staff.
Schools completed the 2019-20 school year through online learning support provided by teachers
during the State-mandated quarantine. After those few months of being away from campus, school
leaders worked diligently during the summer of 2020 to establish operational practices that would
allow for returning to school buildings for the 2020-21 school year. Under the protection of Act
9 of the 2020 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature signed by Governor John
Bel Edwards on July 8, 2020, which enacted LA Revised Statutes 17:439.1 and 3392, schools were
allowed to reopen campuses if the State’s COVID-19 guidance was followed. Thankfully, Catholic
school consistency in following safety protocols resulted in a very successful reopening in-person
and on-time in August 2020, and students had a good school year as the State moved in phases to
a less restrictive guidance by the end of the school year.
Now, as we approach the 2021-22 school year, new guidance has been issued by the State
Department of Education for schools to return to school. The recently issued Ready to Achieve!
2021-2022 School Operational Guidelines ("Ready to Achieve") supports the Governor’s
Roadmap to Restarting Louisiana by utilizing current medical knowledge of how COVID-19 is
transmitted to provide guidance for schools on physical distancing, masking, handwashing,
respiratory etiquette, cleaning of facilities, contact tracing, quarantining, and other considerations
for starting the 2021-22 school year. Realizing that the pandemic is not over, the vaccination rate
in our State is not substantial and some students and staff are unable to receive the vaccine, schools
have an obligation to provide a safe environment for all members of the school community.
After careful review of Ready to Achieve, Diocesan and school leaders have collaborated to address
the requirements from the State to be able to return to campuses and provide families with as
“normal” a school year as possible. Further, it is expected that procedures for schools to resume
will be updated over time to address new information for maintaining in-person learning in schools
across the Diocese as state guidelines are similarly adjusted.
According to the State Department of Education’s guidance for beginning the new school year,
students and staff will generally follow the protocols in place as the last school year ended. The
following policies for school operation are not intended to replace the State’s current guidance,
but to provide clarity in several areas. Schools must reference Ready to Achieve as they formulate
and implement safety protocols for the upcoming school year.
? General Policy: While on campus or at school events, all students and staff who have fully
completed the vaccination protocol (shots and subsequent time requirement) do not need to
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Catholic School Policy for Returning to School 2021-22
July 12, 2021
Page 2 of 3
mask or maintain physical distancing if a copy of the CDC vaccination card or verification
from a similar State or medical authority is submitted. Schools must establish an isolation area
for individuals who display any symptoms of illness and follow guidelines pertaining thereto.
? Physical Distancing: Unvaccinated students must remain at least 3-feet apart in classrooms
where mask use is universal and static/cohort seating is employed. Unvaccinated adults must
remain 6-feet apart from other adults and students. In common areas, all individuals must
remain 6-feet apart. When eating, unvaccinated individuals must remain 6-feet apart, and
vaccinated individuals are urged to maintain distance when possible. During activities with
increased exhalation (i.e., singing, shouting, band practice, sports, or exercise), individuals
must be 6-feet apart. Further, these activities should continue to be held outdoors or in large,
well-ventilated spaces whenever possible. School buses may operate at 100% capacity if all
passengers are masked, the windows are open, and assigned seating charts are utilized and
enforced.
? Temperature Check & Illness: Students and adults do not need to be checked for temperature
when coming on campus. Instead, self-monitoring of adults and parental screening of children
prior to arrival at campus is required. If a student or adult has a temperature or is ill, they must
immediately be moved to an isolation area and sent home. Water fountains must be closed,
but bottle fillers are allowed.
? Face Masks: Anyone who provides the school with acceptable medical verification that they
have fully completed the vaccination protocol does not have to wear a face mask while on
campus or at a school event. All unvaccinated adults and students in Grade 3 – 12 must wear
face masks while indoors, including classrooms. While outdoors, students and adults do not
need to mask if they adhere to physical distancing of 6-feet or more