Beginning Wednesday, March 2, face coverings will no longer be required at Mexico Academy & Central School District buildings or buses. All families will still be able to choose to wear masks during class time or any other portions of the day as COVID-19 is still active in our community.

However, as community spread has dramatically decreased and the access has increased to effective mitigation measures like the COVID-19 vaccine, it is the right time to move from ‘masks required’ to ‘masks recommended’ in all buildings.

Any individual may continue to wear a mask at school based on their own health status and choice. It is expected per our bullying policies that nobody will receive harassment over their choice of being masked or not. KN95 masks are still available for staff and students in each building and work area.

Below are COVID-19 protocols, procedures and important reminders relevant to MACS families and communities:

• Assess your child for symptoms each day and keep them home whenever symptoms occur.
• Follow all quarantine and isolation orders should you test positive, develop symptoms or if an unvaccinated individual is exposed to COVID
• Test your child if they have symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
• Contact the Oswego County Health Department should you or your child test positive through an at-home COVID-19 test
• Home test kits are available for free for all MACS students and can be picked up at your child’s school or the District Office.
• Testing is also available through our ConnextCare School Based Health Centers.

Please note, should students visit another building, district or business where masks or other mitigation techniques are implemented, they are expected to respect and follow their COVID-19 protocols.

We want to assure you that we will continue to closely monitor COVID numbers in our buildings every day, and we will continue to work with building administrators to adjust mitigation strategies and provide staffing support where needed. Our number one priority continues to be keeping students and staff healthy and safe in schools.

COVID-19 numbers inside of schools continue to be reported and are available via the state website at the following link: https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/home

As a reminder, please keep your child home if they are sick. We continue to encourage mask wearing, vaccination and boosters for those who are eligible. We will continue our additional mitigation measures that have been in place throughout the pandemic, including physical distancing to the extent possible, good hand hygiene and daily cleaning and sanitation protocols.