Billings School District 2 will continue with its mask mandate, citing the “swift pace of the omicron variant moving in our community,” Superintendent Greg Upham wrote in a Thursday letter to parents and guardians in the district. The district had hoped to allow masks to be optional for teachers on Monday and students by Tuesday. “It was with great anticipation that we were poised to welcome optional masking,” Upham said. Other districts in the state, including Great Falls and Bozeman, have moved instruction online as escalating COVID-19 cases have left students sick and schools short-staffed. Billings Public Schools has reported that at least 121 students and 40 staff members are newly infected with COVID-19.

Source: Forbes January 14, 2022 01:01 UTC