(La Porte, IN) - A mask mandate for the LaPorte Community School Corporation goes into effect on Wednesday.

The mandate approved unanimously last night by the school board is in response to an order by the governor that students not wearing a mask who had close contact with a COVID-19 infected individual had to be quarantined.

Superintendent Mark Francesconi said the idea is to reduce the number of students sent home for virtual learning.

Nearly 400 students have been quarantined since the beginning of the school year, but the percentage of students with close contact with an infected person testing positive was very low.

“We’re viewing things certainly from the safety aspect and from the education aspect,” Francesconi said.  

Francesconi said the mandate would remain in effect until the percentage of people testing positive for the virus in La Porte County drops into the blue, the lowest category under the statewide color-coded monitoring system. Currently, La Porte County is in the orange, which is just below the highest category of red.

School Board member Jim Arnold said the mask mandate does not apply to students outside or student-athletes taking part during indoor competitions.