Schools go mask optional Monday. Here’s what that means for the Tri-Cities
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Richland School Board Recall Effort
A high-profile group of voters filed to recall board members Semi Bird, Audra Byrd and Kari Williams after their controversial vote to make face masks optional.
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The Washington state Department of Health published new guidance on Tuesday that will guide public schools after the statewide indoor mask mandate ends Friday night.
Starting next week, masks will be an optional accessory in most settings for school staff and students in Washington. Monday will be the first time since the pandemic that students will go to school without a required mask mandate in place.
“One thing we’re going to be very careful about is those individuals that really want to continue to wear masks, that they feel supported and that we have a fully free environment for our staff. That is going to be very important,” Richland Superintendent Shelley Redinger said at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.
The requirement is easing as the risk of contracting COVID-19 has reached a historic low, and as cases continue to fall following the omicron variant surge.
“In-person education and care are valuable to social and emotional health,” Washington Secretary of Health Umair Shah said in a Wednesday statement. “This new guidance focuses on ways to meet critical state public health requirements while also focusing on keeping kids in school and childcare.”
Here’s what’s changing and what’s staying the same.
What’s new
Social distancing measures, regular COVID testing of student-athletes and restrictions on performance arts events will no longer be required. In most settings, masks will not be required in public schools.
“While masks are no longer required universally in schools ..., there will be situations when the use of well-fitting masks may be temporarily required for individuals by (the Department of Health) and/or local public health,” according to the new guidance.
Masks may also still be required to be worn universally if a classroom or an extracurricular group, such as a sports team, is experiencing an outbreak. An outbreak is defined as two or more positive COVID-19 cases with at least two cases of onset symptoms within 14 days of each other, the guidance reads.
Masks may also be recommended during activities with high risks of transmission, such as during choir or band class.
Staff working closely with students with disabilities should also “strongly consider” wearing personal protective gear, including a mask.
Federal transportation guidelines were also updated recently, meaning students riding public school buses will no longer have to wear them on their bus rides, either.
What’s staying the same
Schools will continue to offer students, staff and visitors masks at their entrances if they want one.
And Washington state’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate still remains in place for public school employees and teachers. Students at this time are not required to be inoculated.
“Staff and students must still wear a mask when they are in the health room. Quarantine requirements are still in place for those who test positive for COVID-19. The district will also continue to track and report cases of positive COVID-19 cases and ensure that diagnostic testing is available in the schools,” said Robyn Chastain, Kennewick School District’s communication and public relation director, in an emailed statement.
Employees and students who test positive for COVID-19 will still be required to isolate for at least five days until symptoms improve and they are without a fever, per requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unless they test negative before a return after infection, masks will still be “strongly recommended” for students and staff in their first five days back.
Those who contract symptoms will still be required to stay home and get tested, as well as report any possible infection to the school.
Public schools also will still be required to provide access to quick COVID testing to their staff and students.
Mask wearing is also also still highly encouraged as a way to mitigate spread of the virus, and that choice should be supported by school districts, the guidance says.
“Some may need to wear a mask because they or a member of their household is high risk for severe COVID-19 disease,” reads the guidance.
Tri-Cities changes
The shift statewide to make masks optional in the classroom could trigger a shift in students to remote learning, though likely noting at a large scale.
Anna Tensmeyer, a spokesperson with Pasco School District, said their districts surveyed roughly 2,000 parents about the shift to mask optional, and about 50 said they planned to enroll their students in the district’s virtual-learning option. Pasco’s student enrollment is at about 18,700.
In Richland, “There are a few students in process of transferring to Pacific Crest Online Academy, but otherwise we are not currently seeing a significant shift in students and families wanting to go to full-time online learning,” said district spokesperson Ty Beaver in an email.
Chastain also said they were seeing some Kennewick students moving to online courses, but nothing significant.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 12:48 PM.
