PUSD Governing Board votes 4-1 to require masks for the rest of the school year

With opinions almost evenly divided in a large audience in the Hendrix Auditorium at Mile High Middle School Tuesday, May 4, a majority of Prescott Unified School District’s Governing Board members favored reinstating the mask requirement. The action was taken following a spike in COVID-19 cases that required quarantines of some 180 PUSD students after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted the mask mandates and area districts followed suit. (Nanci Hutson/Courier)

With opinions almost evenly divided in a large audience in the Hendrix Auditorium at Mile High Middle School Tuesday, May 4, a majority of Prescott Unified School District’s Governing Board members favored reinstating the mask requirement. The action was taken following a spike in COVID-19 cases that required quarantines of some 180 PUSD students after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted the mask mandates and area districts followed suit. (Nanci Hutson/Courier)

After a three-hour robust, public debate over whether or not masks must be worn on Prescott Unified School District’s seven school campuses, the Governing Board voted 4-1 to require cloth masks be worn by all students, employees, and visitors.

The reinstituted mandate goes into effect as of Wednesday, May 5 and will continue through the end of the school year that ends in 17 days.

With opinions almost evenly divided in a large audience in the Hendrix Auditorium at Mile High Middle School Tuesday, May 4, a majority of board members favored reinstating the mask requirement given a spike in COVID-19 cases that required quarantines of some 180 students after Gov. Doug Ducey lifted the mask mandates and area districts followed suit.

Board President Deb Dillon commended all the speakers for maintaining proper decorum as they offered opinions that veered between masks as a proper health and safety protocol and masks as a political tool that takes away a family’s right to choice amid limited spread of infection.

“This was a tough decision,” Dillon remarked after the vote.

Watch dCourier.com and The Daily Courier for more about the community debate prior to the board vote and public reaction.


Donate Report a Typo Contact
Most Read