Responding to 10 coronavirus cases at its middle schools, the Lewiston School District has imposed a temporary mask mandate.

But trustees have stopped short of a districtwide policy, and will require masks only at the middle schools, the Lewiston Tribune reported.

The district has reported nine cases at Jenifer Middle School, seven cases involving staffers and two involving students who are siblings, Justyna Tomtas of the Tribune reported. A tenth case involves a Sacajawea Middle School student.

During a special board meeting Tuesday, trustees debated whether to go beyond a middle school policy.

“I’m not seeing why we want to wait until it spreads to put in a mask mandate for the schools,” trustee Cherlette Kremer said, according to Tomtas. “I’d rather be proactive and require masks now.”

Board president Brad Rice called a districtwide mandate a “draconian measure,” Tomtas reported.

“I’m not suggesting we won’t get more cases, and won’t grow, but the idea is not about eliminating the virus. It’s about protecting the hospital from being overrun with cases,” Rice said, according to Tomtas’ report. “We’re doing our part to help slow the spread.”