The Pella School Board rejected a motion 4-1 to reverse a removal of the district’s mask mandate at a special meeting this afternoon. Tim Tripp dissented, citing concerns over administration’s role in making the decision without board consultation and argued the regulations should have continued through the end of the school year. Masks will remain optional for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year.

District administrators had lifted the mandate Monday based on the District’s return to learn plan. In total, 25 individuals spoke both in favor of an optional plan and opposed, some of whom were students who faced bullying for continuing to wear a mask after the mandate was lifted, parents who kept their kids virtual due to the restrictions, and others in support and opposed.

More details will follow on Thursday’s news coverage.