NOLA-PS Recommends Universal Masking in K-12 Schools through March 18

(New Orleans – March 3, 2022) — Based on federal, state, and local changes to masking guidance in school settings, NOLA Public Schools (NOLA-PS) recommends the continuation of universal masking for its K-12 schools through March 18, 2022.

If levels of community spread remain medium to low, as defined by the CDC, the masking recommendation will be lifted as of March 21, 2022. At that time, anyone who would like to continue to wear a mask in school is encouraged to do so.

The recommended lifting of universal masking on March 21, 2022 will occur two weeks post Mardi Gras and aligns with the city's plans to no longer require proof of vaccination or a negative test for indoor spaces.

"We want to make sure we keep our students and staff safe," said NOLA-PS Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr. "Keeping our many layers of protection in place – social distancing, ongoing testing, and our vaccine mandate – will continue to curb future spikes of COVID-19."

Beginning Monday, March 7^th, NOLA-PS is also removing all Omicron related restrictions, such as the reduced use of assembly spaces and increased social distancing. In addition, the isolation period for those positive with COVID-19 will be reduced from 10 to 5 days, which aligns with CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health's COVID-19 Updates.

The majority of schools have submitted data on their students' vaccination status and more than 45% of students are fully vaccinated and 60% of students have received at least one dose of the vaccine. This makes NOLA Public Schools the most highly vaccinated public school system in the state.

The current COVID testing programs for students at schools will continue. Should families have questions, we encourage them to reach out to their individual school for more information.

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About NOLA Public Schools: NOLA Public Schools is the public school district for Orleans Parish. It includes the district's administration and elected school board, known as the Orleans Parish School Board. NOLA Public Schools currently oversees 76 public schools and is led by Superintendent Dr. Henderson Lewis, Jr.

For more information, visit www.nolapublicschools.com. For updates, follow NOLA Public Schools on Facebook @NOLAPublicSchools, Instagram @nolaps and Twitter @NOLAPSchools.