Thursday, Feb 17, 2022

NKN Community,  


Effective February 28th, the NKN School district will move to an optional outdoor mask policy. This allows students and staff the opportunity to be outdoors for recess and free time unmasked. The Oregon Health Authority has updated guidelines to consider outdoor exposures as low risk activities. Close contact during unmasked outdoor recess does not constitute exposure and does not warrant quarantine. Now that the peak case count has passed, and cases throughout Tillamook County and the school district have declined, this is a good time to move forward with optional outdoor masking on NKN campuses.

No decision regarding indoor masking has been made yet. School district administration will meet with the Tillamook County Health Department before the March 14 NKN school board meeting to determine next steps for indoor mask requirements.

Remember, the following exceptions exist to the optional outdoor masking update:

  • Any student who is COVID positive will continue to be excluded from school for five days.
  • A well fitted mask must be worn consistently indoors and outdoors on days 6-10, in all activities, after testing positive for COVID.
  • At NKN High School, students in the Test to Stay model must mask properly to participate in all school and after school activities for ten days. If unable to mask properly, the student will not be allowed this modified quarantine model.
  • If unable to mask properly and consistently for the ten days at any school location, the student/staff will be asked to stay home for the full ten day isolation period.

Thank you and please be safe, 

Paul Erlebach, Superintendent

Neah-Kah-Nie School District

https://nknsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Letter-to-community-Optional-Outdoor-Masks-1.pdf