In addition to social distancing and good hand hygiene, face coverings have been scientifically proven to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. Reducing the spread means we can all remain engaged in person at school and work for longer periods of time.

All students, staff and visitors are required to provide and wear a face covering over the mouth and nose while inside district buildings, schools and buses. Note: gaiters and face shields are not CDC accepted forms of face covering and will not be adequate for use in DMPS buildings.

Face coverings must be applied with clean hands, cover the nose and mouth and fit securely under the chin. The face covering should be snug against the sides of the face and across the bridge of the nose. Please carry a second, clean face covering in the event the first one becomes soiled

Face coverings should be washed after each use. Please bring a paper bag or plastic sandwich bag to store used face coverings until you can clean them at home.

Masks may be removed to eat and when young students take naps, at which time special attention will be paid to other safety measures including social distancing, frequent hand washing and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

The CDC allows exceptions to face covering guidelines when a person is under 2 years of age, has trouble breathing or cannot remove a face covering on their own. Employees who have a medical reason why they cannot wear a face covering must provide a doctor’s note to Cathy McCay, catherine.mccay@dmschools.org to begin the discussion of alternative methods of stopping the spread of the virus. Students who have a medical reason why they cannot wear a face covering should contact the school nurse.

For more information, please see the DMPS Face Covering Guidelines provided by DMPS Health Services.