Recently, the KSHSAA passed new regulations regarding spectator limits at events. The new regulation is as follows:
“Beginning January 29 until the end of winter activities regular season this school year, a maximum of four spectators per participant will be permitted to attend with appropriate social distancing required. Local school districts may choose to have stricter limitations based on seating and local health department guidelines.”
Based on the size of the gyms at OHS, we will not be able to accommodate four spectators for every home and visiting participant and still stay within the Franklin County Health Department’s recommendations for our facility. As such, the following changes will occur in relation to this new rule at Ottawa High School events. All event attendance regulations when traveling to other schools will be under the control of the host school and not those of Ottawa USD 290.
Attendance:
The number of spectators allowed per participant will be dependent upon which gym the event is being conducted in.
All winter sports and activity participants will be given 4 tickets to be used and redistributed throughout the remainder of the year. The number of tickets that may be used on a nightly basis will be based on the following:
All events being conducted in the North Gym (Main Gym):
4 spectator tickets for OHS participants
2 spectator tickets for visiting team participants
All events being conducted in the South Gym (Auxiliary Gym)
2 spectator tickets for OHS participants
2 spectator tickets for visiting team participants
Participants may give their tickets to anyone of their choosing. The tickets do NOT have to be for family members only.
When entering OHS, each spectator must have a ticket in hand to be allowed entry.
Each ticket used will be marked and no one will be allowed to enter above the maximum stated above.
Tickets will be provided to any athlete, cheerleader, coach, manager, dance team member or other event personnel participating that night. If any of the above is not participating that night, then the tickets will not be valid for that event.
Mitigation:
Please sit within family groups and social distance between other families while in attendance.
To allow for more room to distance, we ask that once a game is completed, spectators leave the facility if the student they came to watch is no longer participating for that evening.
We also ask spectators to arrive as close to the start of the game for which their participant is active to help with crowd size and reduce exposure.
Masks:
Masks, per the county, the KSHSAA, and USD 290 policies, are required to be worn by everyone inside the building. Masks are not required to be worn by players who are actively participating on the court nor by officials when actively officiating. However, students and officials may wear masks during competition if they so choose. Players on the bench and officials when not officiating must wear a mask.
Masks must be worn properly over the mouth and nose.
Miscellaneous:
We still plan to live stream our home events.
OHS would like to thank you for your cooperation with these new protocols. If you have any questions, you can email Shawn Phillips, OHS Activities Director at: phillipss@usd290.org