| FACE COVERINGS |
The North Syracuse Central School District will develop protocols for the use of face coverings, which will include the following:
- Employees, adult visitors, and students will be required to wear an acceptable face covering throughout the day while in school, subject to the exceptions;
- Students must wear a face covering while riding the school bus and while entering, exiting and seated, subject to the exceptions; and
- Students will wear masks while seated at their desks in their classrooms and mask breaks will be scheduled as necessary.
The District will take the following steps to implement its face covering protocols:
- Provide acceptable face coverings to faculty and staff who directly interact with students or members of the public while at work at no cost to faculty/staff;
- Provide acceptable face coverings to any student who does not have their own, at no cost to the student;
- Allow faculty, staff and students to use their own acceptable face covering; and
- Provide instructions on its website and signs throughout buildings relating to, among other things, proper use, care and disposal of face coverings, the importance of routine cleaning of reusable face coverings, and not sharing face coverings.
* The New York State Department of Health defines acceptable face coverings (to include but not limited to): cloth-based face coverings and surgical masks that cover both the mouth and nose. Face shields worn without other face coverings are not considered adequate protection or source control against COVID-19 and should not be used. However, students and staff may use alternate face coverings (e.g. transparent at or around the mouth) for instruction that requires visualization of the movement of the lips and/or mouths (e.g. speech therapy). Those coverings may also be used for certain students (e.g. hearing impaired) who benefit from seeing more of the face of faculty/staff.
- NY DOH guidance specifically says bandanas are OK; and
- The CDC guidance advises caution for gaiters because “Evaluation is on-going but effectiveness is unknown at this time.” https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html
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