Vermilion Parish School System releases ‘Re-opening Plan’

Vermilion Parish School Superintendent Tommy Byler made it official; a mask will have to be worn by everyone when school starts on Aug. 11.
For weeks, Byler hinted that masks were coming because of the rise of COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
The Vermilion Parish School administration put on its website a 15-page “Re-opening Plan.” The plan outlines what is required from students, parents and employees dealing with COVID-19 guidelines.
Earlier in the week, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a mask mandate for everyone, including youths five years old and older.
Byler, on social media, announced the new mask mandate. He said because the state runs public schools, everyone has to follow the governor’s order.
“I am only the messenger,” Byler said. “You may disagree with it, but our hands are tied. This is where we are today.”
• Masks will be required by students as young as kindergarten. Last school year, the mask mandate was for third graders through 12th graders, plus employees.
• Masks will have to be worn inside the school. However, if a student takes PE or eats outside, masks will not be required.
• Anyone who rides on a school bus will have to wear a mask, according to the mandate. The mandate also includes athletes and band members for after school events.
• The bus windows will be opened, allowing for air flow.
• When outside during football practice or a game, masks will not be required. Entering the school building to undress, a mask is needed.
• Because volleyball matches are inside, masks will be required.
• All masks have to be solid in color. The only words on the masks can only be the school district or the school name.
Change for contact tracing.
• If someone contracts the coronavirus, and those around the person were less than three feet from the person and were not wearing a mask, they have to quarantine for 10 days.
• However, what has changed about being quarantined is that if someone is diagnosed with COVID and a person comes in contact with the COVID person and was wearing a mask and three feet away from the COVID person, they do not have to be quarantined for 10 days, Byler explained.
• Also, if a person is vaccinated and comes in contact with a person diagnosed with COVID and was three feet away from that person and is showing no signs of having COVID, that person does not have to be quarantined.
• Another change is that after six days of being quarantined due to contact tracing, a person showing no signs of COVID can get tested for the virus. If the test result is negative, they can return to school.
Byler said the only way to get out of wearing a mask is to have a medical excuse. Because of a person’s political or religious belief is not a reason not to wear a mask, based on the state and CDC’s guidelines.
“There are 1,600 employees and 9,500 students,” said Byler. “No matter what decision we make, all 11,000 will not agree with the decisions.”