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The mask mandate in the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District is no longer in effect, according to Superintendent of Schools Brent Ripley.
"Our (COVID-19) numbers have been dropping and continue to drop," Ripley said. "Honestly, everyone from the parents to the students to the administration was so supportive of the issue. We want our kids safe and in school.
"The board decided it was time to lift the mandate and give the students and their parents the choice to wear a mask or not," he continued. "Some students are still wearing them now, but it is a low percentage."
He said the district currently has four COVID cases. They include one elementary student, two middle school students and one faculty member.
Ripley also mentioned that he updates the community on the district's COVID numbers weekly on the school website.
The district also extended the contract of Treasurer Eric Meininger for an additional five years.
"We were lucky to get Eric from the private sector. He was working for an accounting firm after graduating from West Liberty," Ripley said. "We mentored him for about six months and then he's just taken off. He's like a sponge. He absorbs everything.
"He's helped us watch our finances and has done a very good job of that," Ripley continued. "He also watches our spending trends."
Ripley said that Meininger, as a former standout basketball player for the nationally ranked Hilltoppers, "knows how to play for a team."
Now he knows what it's like to serve on a team," Ripley said.
Meininger was very appreciative of the extension.
"I'm very thankful to the board and Mr. Ripley for giving me that trust with the finances," Meininger said. "I've enjoyed my time here and I'm looking forward to the next five years."
He said the district's general fund balance is "firm and intact."