(GDN) — Wayne County Public Schools will continue with its masking requirement for schools that reach an 8% exclusion rate. 

Ken Derksen, WCPS Executive Director for Community Engagement and Student & Family Support, presented the latest COVID-19 metrics to the Wayne County Board of Education on Monday. 

Derksen says, after the omicron surge in early January, figures have improved in the past two weeks.

The school board voted 6-1 to keep the masking requirement as-is for at least another month.

Under the current rules, if a school reaches or exceeds 8% exclusion rate amongst students and staff, masks will then be required inside that school for at least two weeks (ten school days). Masks would become optional again once the school’s exclusion rate dropped below 8% after that two week period. Masks would remain optional if a school has an exclusion rate below 8%.

As of Tuesday morning, three schools — Wayne Academy, Grantham Elementary and Meadow Lane Elementary — have the masking requirement in place.