(ST. LANDRY PARISH) St. Landry Parish School Board (SLPSB) Superintendent Patrick Jenkins says masks and face coverings are back in January 2022.

The new year brings new mask and face-covering mandates for all St. Landry Parish schools and facilities. The new protocols will affect all community members, students and staff that visit all schools and school board facilities. The mask and face-covering mandates also apply to school buses and school-related activities.

Jenkins told KATC TV 3 he believes wearing masks and face-coverings helps cut down on the spread of COVID-19 and that schools are the perfect place to educate children about protocols.

I believe that wearing a face-covering is one of several preventive tools (get vaccinated and boosted, get testing before travel, gatherings and upon return and social distancing to the maximum extent possible) to best mitigate the rapid spread of the omicron variant in our communities. I also believe that the best place to educate our children is school, face to face. SLPSB Superintendent Patrick Jenkins to KATC

Jenkins says the school board will discuss the new protocols on January 6, 2022, at the next school board meeting.

1. Consideration and/or action related to the CDC updates and shortened recommended isolation and quarantine period for the general population.

2. Discussion or action regarding SLPSB mask opt-out mandates guidance, via proclamation 234 JBE 2021.

According to KATC, "The superintendent says that on behalf of the board, he wants to encourage community members, staff and students to sign up for COVID testing and test prior to attending school in January 2022 if they are exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19."

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