NEW ALBANY, Ind. — More than 1,000 New Albany-Floyd County students and staff are currently quarantining, district officials confirmed Tuesday.
The district started the academic year Aug. 3 with no mask requirement. When the county fell into the CDC's red zone, the Floyd County Health Department issued an executive order requiring masks for all K-6 students inside schools.
Floyd County Health Officer Dr. Thomas Harris said the order was then modified after discussion with county commissioners, allowing each individual school system to decide requirements.
Parents of New Albany-Floyd County School students fought against any mandates, at one point interrupting a Board of Education meeting to rally against mask requirements. Ultimately, the board decided to follow Superintendent Bradley Snyder's recommendation, setting a system based on the community's COVID rates.
The district announced it would require masks for everyone inside school buildings starting Aug. 12. At that time, Snyder said the district had already experienced "significant staff and student COVID positives."
"This is not where we want to be for our students and staff, but where we are as we try to help with reducing public transmission," Snyder said in a statement.
As of Tuesday morning, New Albany-Floyd County has had 168 positive cases. Bill Briscoe, assistant to the superintendent for administration and operations, said more than 1,000 students and staff were quarantining as of this weekend.
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