Esko votes to end its mask mandate

While other area schools and cities are heightening Covid-19 protocols, the Esko school board voted Monday to pass a set of guidelines that would allow the removal of mandatory masks on Feb. 7.

With a 3-2 vote at the regular meeting Jan. 24, the board passed guidelines that state the mask mandate for elementary school students would be suspended if the number of active Covid-19 cases for the district is under 25. If the number of cases is not below 25, masks could be mandatory for all students.

“The board has not set a specific strategy, but if the numbers begin to rise significantly, we would...