Baker School District continues to offer extracurricular activities

By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Tuesday, September 14th, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories

BAKER CITY – (Release by the Baker School District) Last week, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) issued a school health advisory to remain in effect through October 1 that “to the extent possible, schools and other organizations should reduce extracurricular activities and…if schools and other organizations proceed with extracurricular activities, they should consider holding them outdoors and implementing additional precautions like face coverings and physical distancing.”

Baker School District recognizes the importance of extracurricular activities and will continue to offer them to the extent possible. The district continues to follow OHA and ODE health and safety protocols, including face coverings and distancing, and encourages activities to be held outdoors when possible.

Specifically regarding athletics, currently, students are not required to wear a mask indoors or outdoors when practicing or playing a competitive sport. Students not actively participating are required to wear a mask. Masks are required for coaches, support staff, and spectators 5 years and older indoors, as well as outdoors when 6 feet of physical distancing cannot be maintained.

“We follow strict health and safety protocols as a strategy to keep extracurricular activities available to our students because they are such a high priority for their overall health,” says Superintendent Mark Witty. “We hope that following these protocols, in conjunction with vaccination whenever possible, will keep our extracurricular activities up and running.”