Clark County School District announces new mask guidelines

The Clark County School District is announcing new mask guidelines effective June 1, the first day of summer school throughout the district.

Under the new guidelines, any student or staff member who is outside does not have to wear a mask, regardless of their vaccination status.

Additionally, all staff who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear a mask on district sites or at district-sponsored events, according to the guidance. They are, however, required to wear masks on school buses.

For elementary students, masks will be optional for students in pre-kindergarten through third grade, but required for students in grades 4 and 5.

With vaccines now available for children over 12, masks will not be required for students in grades 6 through 12 who have been fully vaccinated.

All students still have to wear masks on school buses.

Much of the new guidance will not apply to the district’s upcoming in-person graduation ceremonies, where staff, students and attendees will be required to wear masks.

The district’s change in policy comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced recently that people who have been fully vaccinated no longer need to wear a face mask in most indoor and outdoor settings.

Last week, the Nevada System of Higher Education, which oversees eight schools and more than 100,000 students, said students, employees and others who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear a mask on college and university campuses. Officials at UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno, both said they’d follow NSHE’s new mask guidance.

Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.