The Indianola School Board voted to remove the required mask mandate for the district at their meeting Monday, after enacting a required masks policy in October. Superintendent Art Sathoff tells KNIA News new recommendations from the State of Iowa and other partners were presented to the board, who made the decision to end the policy.

“A significant change that said the Iowa Department of Public Health would be viewing COVID-19 like any other childhood illness, meaning there would not be a quarantine required with an exposure unless there were symptoms being shown. Part of that guidance also was the belief that parents should have the decision making authority, the right to decide whether or not they wanted their children to wear a mask.”

Sathoff also said the board continues to strongly recommend the wearing of masks in school facilities. The Indianola seniors will have their last day of school on Friday, with the semester ending on May 27th.