Mask usage is now optional at Knoxville Schools after the school board made the decision to drop the requirement Tuesday. Superintendent Cassi Pearson says this decision aligns with the latest science.

“As we have moved along since last March, the guidance has changed as science has figured out more about, and as we have gotten better at knowing how to live with it, once again the guidance has changed. The Iowa Department of Public Health announced their recommendation for school districts to start looking at COVID-19 just like a regular childhood illness. That means the additional quarantining measures are going away. Our board, after very healthy discussion, made the motion and approved moving the Knoxville School District to masks being a choice for each individual, whether they are inside our facilities or outside.”

The district originally planned on keeping the mask requirement until June 1st, but Pearson also says it’s important to follow the recommendations of local public health. Hear more about this change on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.