Aurora School Districts Change Mask Guidance Amid Decreased Cases

AURORA, IL — As COVID-19 cases throughout Aurora and Kane County continue to decrease, city school districts are updating their guidance to reflect the "drastic decreases" in positive cases.

Starting Tuesday at West Aurora School District 129, students, teachers and staff will no longer be required to wear masks on buses, athletic vans and driver education cars, officials announced Monday.

Officials announced the decision almost two weeks after District 129 became a "mask strongly recommended" environment for all students and staff effective Feb. 17.

The district's updated bus guidance comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed their own regulations, effective Feb. 25, to ax mask requirements on buses or vans operated by public and private school systems.

In a message to the community, Superintendent of Schools Jeff Craig said "universal masking is no longer strongly recommended indoors, but remains an option for students, staff, and visitors." District staff, he said, will continue to provide KN95 and surgical masks to those who request them.

As COVID-19 metrics continue to improve within the district and across Kane County, Craig said the district will continue adjusting its mitigation strategies over time.

Across town at East Aurora School District 131, though, mask requirements aren't as loose. District officials acknowledged the decrease in positive cases as a reason for implementing a universal masking continuum — in effect as of Monday.

The district's mask requirements are contingent on cases and environments, as detailed in this chart available online. At preschools, masks are required at all times for students, while staff can choose not to wear a mask if COVID-19 cases are at or below 2 percent.

For kindergarten through 12th-grade students, masks are required at any school identified as an "outbreak site" or if positive cases are 3 percent or more. Once positive cases decrease to 2 percent or less at the school, masks become recommended or optional, respectively.

Officials noted that in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained, masks "are always required," and students and staff will be required to continue masking on all transportation vehicles.

District 129 officials said they will continue monitoring daily data on students and staff, updating their mitigation efforts accordingly.