Masks no longer required in St. Joseph schools

St. Joseph public school children will no longer have to wear masks in the classroom.

The St. Joseph School Board, in a surprise move, voted 5-to-2 to no longer require that masks be worn in the classroom. 

Masks still will be required on school buses due to a federal mandate.  

The move comes as a surprise. 

The St. Joseph School Board had agreed to drop the mandate once the Buchanan County COVID-19 positivity rate fell below five percent. 

The St. Joseph Health Department reports the county positivity rate stands at 5-point-14 percent.    

Still coronavirus pandemic trends locally have been encouraging and the school board decided that the masked mandate was no longer necessary.