As of Sept. 1, masks are once again required on the Hill for all educators, students and visitors. Principal Mrs. Julie Barthel said, “We had numbers (of positive Covid tests) we felt were too high to stay not wearing masks.”

The need for masks will be reassessed every two weeks. Because the initial announcement for mask requirements occurred on Wednesday, Sept. 1, Barthel said the two-week assessment will always take place on subsequent Wednesdays.

Barthel said 92 students had to switch from in-person to online learning so far this school year. Barthel said, “Ninety-two online students in 11 days of school was too much.” She added that the administration didn’t separate the unvaccinated versus the vaccinated students in the data.

Barthel said, “I don’t want to have to go to anyone else and send them home because of who they’re sitting by. Our main goal is to have everybody stay in school, and I think wearing masks will help with that.”