With rising positive COVID-19 cases, quarantines and the added complication of the Delta variant, Derby Public Schools will hold an emergency board meeting and decide on Friday whether to maintain its mask optional policy or shift towards a mask mandate.

Wichita, Andover, Mulvane, Valley Center, Wellington and Arkansas City Public Schools have instituted mask mandates over the past week. 

This decision will take place in-person at the Administrative Center, 1550 E. Walnut Grove Rd, and the decision will be evaluated on a school-by-school basis. 

In other words, some schools within Derby might be under a mask mandate while other schools might be under a mask optional policy. 

The mask optional policy, coded as “green,” will remain in place if positive cases and quarantine numbers are lower than 2% among staff and students at a particular school building. 

Masks will be strongly encouraged, coded as “yellow,” if positive cases and quarantine numbers are greater than 2% but lower than 6%. 

The mask mandate, coded as “red,” will be implemented if positive cases and quarantine numbers are greater than 6%.

“When a building first moves into red, masks will be required for a two week period. Then will be re-evaluated each week thereafter,” Superintendent Heather Bohaty said in a news release.

After the emergency board meeting takes place on Sept. 3, staff and families will be notified about the decision via Skylert, and an update will also be posted on the district website, www.derbyschools.com