(information courtesy of the Mehlville School District Communications Dept.)

Mehlville School District continues to balance often-conflicting guidance and feedback from public health officials, lawmakers and court cases related to COVID-19. Throughout this school year, the Mehlville Board of Education has been carefully reviewing and voting on a resolution for COVID health and safety mitigation strategies at least every 30 days.

This evening the Mehlville Board of Education held a special meeting to consider legal advice related to a court case in Cole County and a recent letter from the Missouri Attorney General. The board also heard a report on COVID-19 community transmission and community vaccination.

Tonight, the board adopted a revised COVID-19 resolution (read the resolution here). The resolution includes the following:

• Face coverings will continue to be required while inside all Mehlville School District buildings through Dec. 23, 2021.

• Beginning Dec. 23, 2021, the district will move to a mask-recommended policy for grades 9-12. Individual schools serving grades 9-12 will return to a mask-mandated status for 10 days when the number of positive cases over the course of any week in a building exceeds 1% of the building’s population of students and adults. Face coverings will continue to be required in early childhood, elementary and middle school buildings through Jan. 17, 2022.

• District-directed contact tracing and exclusion from school for close contacts will cease on Dec. 23, 2021.

• Effective December 23, 2021, employees, students and visitors who test positive for COVID or who are symptomatic will be excluded from Mehlville School District premises in accordance with our Communicable Diseases (Policy EBB) and Staff Health and Safety (Policy GBE) policies. Parents/guardians will be informed if there is a positive case of COVID in their child’s classroom.

• Beginning Jan. 17, 2022, the district will move to a mask-recommended policy for all grades. Individual schools will return to a mask-mandated status for 10 days when the number of positive cases over the course of any week in a building exceeds 1% of the building’s population of students and adults.

• Face coverings will remain required on all buses pursuant to a federal mandate.

• Mehlville School District will offer limited onsite COVID testing to students and employees beginning in January.

• Mehlville School District will continue to invest in At Home as an option for virtual instruction for students who choose to participate. Parents may request their students transfer into and out of At Home at the start of the second semester as space permits. Please contact your school principal to request a change in placement.