SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Editor's note: The attached video originally aired on Jan. 18, 2022
The Saint Paul Board of Education voted against adjusting the district policy requiring students and staff to wear a face mask on school property during a meeting Tuesday night.
The 3-2 vote was cast late in the scheduled meeting. If it had passed, masks wouldn't need to be worn when Ramsey County COVID rates reflected a low or moderate rate of transmission.
Chair Jim Vue and Vice-Chair Jessica Kopp cast votes in favor of the changes, but Uriah Ward, Chauntyll Allen and Halla Henderson voted to reject the new policy and keep masks in place.
Zuki Ellis and Jeanelle Foster were absent Tuesday night.
"What I'm reflecting on is our ability to balance multiple community needs for physical health, for mental health, social well-being and what that looks like in our community," said Vice Chair Jessica Kopp in a statement made before the vote. "I hope we are all mindful of the complexity of this."
As of March 17 Ramsey County, where SPPS schools are located, was at a moderate rate of COVID cases, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection issued a report at the end of February stating that most people didn't need to wear a mask indoors in areas where the threat of COVID is at a low to medium risk. However, rules from the CDC aren't binding and cities and other institutions may set their own policies and guidelines.
You can watch the full Board of Education meeting here.
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