Valley schools change masking requirements after new law goes into effect - WHSV
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a law banning mask mandates in public schools, but districts have until March 1 to comply.
Rockingham County made masks optional starting Thursday. Page and Shenandoah Counties made the transition to optional masking on Jan. 24, and Augusta County made the change Monday, Feb. 14.
In Harrisonburg City Schools, leaders said they will implement the change next month, saying in a statement to parents, “In accordance with the new law, masks will be optional for students effective March 1.”
Students in Waynesboro don’t have to wear a mask starting Tuesday, Feb. 22. Staunton City School officials said they’re still working on a decision.
Youngkin signed a Day One Executive Order, saying schools cannot mandate masking, but it hit legal roadblocks because of a pre-existing law that said school should follow CDC guidance.
The new law overrides the previous one, and Youngkin said it takes effect immediately, but schools have until March 1 to comply. That language led to some confusion for Valley schools.
“If the legislation had clearly stated, ‘this goes into effect on March 1,’ then yeah, we could have taken that time, revised the health plan,” said Rockingham County Public Schools Superintendent Oskar Scheikl.
Scheikl said they decided to go ahead and lift the mandate instead of waiting until March 1.
“It would have been a daily struggle and administrators would have to deal with kids and parents, when we’re already close to where we need to be and where we said we would make the masks optional. At the same time, it is the law and the board had said you know if this becomes law we would follow the law, so we’ll follow the law,” said Scheikl.
Scheikl said they will also implement VDH’s updated contact tracing standards, meaning they will only ask students to quarantine when there’s an outbreak. Not every close contact of a positive case will be asked to stay home.
“The mental health impact of remote learning, of not being in the building is much, much more significant than the mental health impact we’re seeing from masks,” said Scheikl.
For Page and Shenandoah Counties, masks have been optional since Jan. 24. There are fewer than 10 student COVID cases in each school.
Dr. Scheikl also asks families and students to remember to show respect and to be kind. He said on Thursday, many students continued to wear their masks in school.
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source: https://www.whsv.com/2022/02/17/valley-schools-change-masking-requirements-after-new-law-goes-into-effect/
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