GF schools to keep mask requirement in place

Grand Forks school officials have no plans to follow the lead of the Bismarck district in ending the mask requirement for students on May 4^th.   The Bismarck school board voted this week to scrap the mandate in light of Governor Doug Burgum’s decision to end the North Dakota state of emergency related to the pandemic.

Grand Forks Superintendent Terry Brenner says despite a percentage of staff being vaccinated and a growing number of students 16 and up getting jabbed with a first shot of Pfizer he prefers to stay the course.  “It’s too early for us to lift the mask mandate despite the pressure that comes from different angles and opinions.  We certainly hope for a more normal start to the school year next fall.”

The North Dakota health dashboard lists 22 active cases of COVID-19 among all students in Grand Forks County – and zero staff.