Medford board adopts 3% building-level mask trigger after optional-mask motion fails

The Medford Area Public School District Board of Education considered COVID‑19 protocols on Jan. 24 and enacted a building‑level masking trigger. President Dave Fleegel moved to make masks optional (motion Fleegel/Wibben); that motion failed on a roll call vote with four in favor and five opposed.

Following that vote, Board Member John Zuleger moved (Zuleger/Deml) a rule that would require a building to begin wearing masks if it reaches 3% of its student population testing positive for COVID‑19. The policy specifies that if the building records three consecutive days below the 3% threshold, the district administrator may choose to end masking for that building without waiting for the next board meeting. The motion passed unanimously, 9–0. Mask exemptions will continue to be honored under the adopted approach.

Several public commenters at the start of the meeting had urged the board to revisit or oppose masking policies; Cory Dassow introduced himself as a candidate for the school board, and Nakkita Muelbauer, Rachel Clark and Amy Kohn raised concerns about masking, natural immunity, and exemptions during public comment.

The adopted approach delegates short‑term operational authority to the district administrator to re‑impose or lift masking at the building level based on the stated positivity metric and the three‑day rule; the board did not adopt an explicit enforcement mechanism or testing regimen as part of the motion during this meeting.