The Prairie Spirit School Division (PSSD) is now requiring all students from Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12 to wear a mask while indoors at school.
The policy came into effect on Tuesday, September 14.
All PSSD staff members have been wearing masks indoors in schools and offices since the start of the school year.
The school division had already implemented a policy of mandatory face masks for students up to and including age 12, and for all students riding PSSD buses.
Until now, masks were optional for students age 13 and over.
In a letter to parents of PSSD students on Monday, September 13, PSSD Director of Education Darryl Bazylak said the school division is committed to supporting its schools to remain open for in-person learning.
“Our safety measures are designed to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in the school setting and support in-person learning,” said Bazylak in the letter to parents. “According to our Medical Health Officer (MHO), cases in schools reflect COVID activity in the community. Our MHO tells us that the Delta variant is causing uncertainty right now and that this variant will continue to surge.
“We have a shared responsibility to decrease the risk of COVID-19 impacting our schools.”
The Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools (GSCS) division and Saskatoon Public School Division already have a policy of mandatory face masks indoors for all students, including those in high schools.
The PSSD is following current Saskatchewan Health Authority processes when a case of COVID-19 is identified in a school.