August 2nd, 2021
SFPS to Require Students to Wear Masks Schoolwide
Santa Fe, NM: SFPS Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez today announced that the Santa Fe Public Schools (SFPS) will require all students and staff inside school buildings and riding school buses to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status starting on August 6th, the first day of the 2021-2022 school year. When outdoors, masks are optional and may be removed.
“Our first priority is to ensure a safe learning environment for both students and staff. As we get ready to welcome students back on August 6th, we want everyone to be protected, especially those who cannot yet be vaccinated. Requiring masks inside of school buildings and on school buses is the best course right now given the current status of the coronavirus,” said Superintendent Chavez.
“We are hopeful that we will be able to change this mask requirement. We will continue to monitor and evaluate our protocols related to safety and adhere to all New Mexico Department of Health and Public Education Department requirements,” he said.
This announcement aligns with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for universal masking in schools and the American Academy of Pediatrics that all students older than two years and all school staff should wear face masks at school. In addition, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham on July 28th posted on Twitter that “per the latest @CDCgov guidance, we recommend that all New Mexicans wear a mask indoors out of an abundance of caution as we work to suppress the Delta variant.”
SFPS will hold a town hall on Tuesday, August 3rd, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on YouTube at https://youtube.com/channel/UCv_RRgkZ4kjfSSI1sGrqKFw to take questions from the SFPS school community, including parents and staff. District leaders will address a range of topics, including masking requirements, facility readiness, the Desert Sage Academy remote learning option, personal protective equipment (PPE) and surveillance testing.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding mask-wearing and other safety measures will be posted on the SFPS website at https://www.sfps.info/ by the end of the day on Tuesday.
