Skagway’s school will relax its mask policy in the new year following this week’s school board meeting. KHNS’ Mike Swasey talked with school superintendent Josh Coughran about the board’s decision that allows mask rules to be eased for some fully vaccinated students and teachers.

Swasey – What sort of changes to policy were made during that school board meeting?

Coughran – One of the bigger ones is a school-wide testing initiative. We’ve been extremely fortunate in that the state has done an amazing job distributing testing supplies, and we are well-stocked at the school with COVID tests. 

And so what I wanted to do was to build a way out for students with regular testing, so that perhaps they could go mask-optional if they continue to test negative. It’s something that other schools are doing. It’s something that, you know, if you talk to some of the medical experts around the state, that if you do serial testing, that you can trust that, and that there isn’t COVID circulating in your population. 

And so the board did approve the schoolwide testing initiative. They did throw a bit of a wrinkle in, in that to be able to participate, students will need to be vaccinated. And so what will happen is on January 10, when we come back to school after Christmas break, we’ll start this initiative. And parents will be asked to sign up for that, provide proof of vaccination, and those students will be tested twice weekly.

Swasey – So they’ll be tested twice weekly, and if they’re vaccinated, they won’t have to wear a mask while in school unless there’s an outbreak in town?

Coughran – No see, that’s what we’re trying to avoid. And so it does get a little confusing. Because right now, if we’ve got a case in Skagway with potential for community spread, then we go to universal masking throughout the building. The intent of this program is that if we test these kids twice weekly, and we know that they don’t have COVID, that they can opt-out of the universal masking.

Swasey – Oh, so even if there’s an outbreak in town, they won’t have to mask up in school as long as they are vaccinated and getting tested twice weekly.

Coughran – Exactly. But there is also a bit of a distinction because it goes to our original mitigation plan. So those kids 12 and older will be able to go mask-optional. Students under 12 years old will still be asked to wear masks in common areas, you know, hallways, bathrooms, and in any situation where six feet of distance cannot be reasonably maintained.

Swasey – Okay, and so why the difference between the younger kids and the older kids?

Coughran – That’s kind of a throwback to our original mitigation plan, which was written in July of this year. And that’s, so, the 12-year-olds could be vaccinated at that point. And they hadn’t gotten the approval for the five to 11-year-olds at that point. And so that is stuck as part of our original mitigation plan. I suppose that’s something that we could consider down the road. But that’s why it’s there.

Swasey – And there’s still some uncertainty as to what the vaccination levels are in that younger age group. So any other changes to policy of any sort that the school board decided to make?

Coughran – Yeah, there’s one. In terms of COVID mitigation, we adopted what’s known as a Test To Stay protocol. And so under that program, what we’re going to allow is, if staff or students are considered a close contact, that they test daily during that period of time. And if those tests come up negative on a daily basis they will be able to come to work and school.

Swasey – Okay, great, Josh, thanks so much, appreciate it. Have a great weekend.

Coughran – Alright man, you too.

The school board also announced they will be searching for a nurse to assist in the increased amount of testing, and that the school kitchen rebuild may be finished as early as next fall.