Will any students have to wear masks in Lexington, KY schools in the fall? What we know.

What will school be like when classes starts in a month? Will any students have to wear masks in Lexington and Kentucky schools in the fall? What else should people expect to be different from the spring?

Fayette County Public Schools officials are still working on those questions, school board chair Tyler Murphy said Monday.

On Friday, July 9, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its Guidance for COVID-19 prevention in K-12 schools.

The CDC encourages schools and districts to develop safe re-opening plans that include masking and social distancing for unvaccinated individuals, regular COVID-19 testing and the promotion of widespread vaccination.

Decisions related to COVID-19 prevention strategies during the 2021-22 school year remain at the local level, said state education department spokeswoman Toni Konz Tatman.

The Kentucky Department of Education and Kentucky Department for Public Health encourage school and district leaders to review the updated CDC guidance and allow it to inform their decision making. The Department for Public Health will provide additional guidance in the coming days, said Tatman.

Fayette County Public Schools’ spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall said the district will follow the lead of the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department in continuing with in-person learning when school begins again in August.

Lexington-Fayette County Commissioner of Health Kraig Humbaugh has recommended that all students and employees at elementary and middle schools continue to wear face coverings and follow other precautions for unvaccinated populations during the district’s Summer Ignite program.

That guidance is consistent with best practices released by both the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics guidance.

At the high school level, masks are optional for those employees and students who are fully vaccinated, and mask requirements remain in place for all unvaccinated employees and students.

State mandates for masks on public transportation remain in effect, so masks are required for everyone on school buses during Summer Ignite.

The Fayette County Public Schools COVID-19 Core Team is still finalizing guidelines for the upcoming school year and they will be shared publicly when complete, Deffendall said.

“It is critically important for our community to remember that only 18 percent of individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 in Lexington are fully vaccinated and there is not a vaccine for children under the age of 12,” said Deffendall.

A parent named Dawne Perkins on Facebook encouraged parents to tell the Kentucky Department of Education and Education Commissioner Jason Glass “that I don’t want my kids wearing masks. “

“The pandemic is over and our kids have suffered enough. As a parent I reserve the right to make any and all health decisions for my kids moving forward in regard to masks and vaccines,” she posted.

Jefferson County Public Schools officials said on Sunday as a result of a new recommendation and expected guidance from the Kentucky Department for Public Health, students and staff who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask inside district property beginning Monday, July 12th.

Masks are not required while outside on JCPS property.

Woodford County Schools in Versailles are following state and local health department guidance on masks, new Superintendent Danny Adkins said

This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 9:25 AM.