For the first time in over a year, students, bus drivers and employees, who returned to school from the Mardi Gras holiday on Monday, were able to ride maskless on St. Mary Parish School buses.
St. Mary Parish School Superintendent Dr. Teresa Bagwell told KQKI News on Tuesday morning that schools were informed over the Mardi Gras break that the mandate had been lifted. She added that school officials were told to make the announcement when students returned on Monday.
Effective February 25, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control no longer requires wearing of masks on buses or vans operated by public or private school systems, including early care and education/child care programs.
The mask mandate for school buses was issued by the CDC on January 29, 2021.