MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — Editor's Note: The video above aired Feb. 9 after Monifa McKnight was named the new superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools.
Montgomery County Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on a resolution Tuesday to lift the indoor mask mandate.
The approved resolution makes wearing masks optional in all MCPS schools effective immediately. The vote comes two weeks after the Maryland State Board of Education lifted the statewide mask mandate in schools, which had the caveat of allowing local districts to maintain the mandate if they choose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also no longer recommends universal masking in schools.
MCPS Superintendent Monifa McKnight said that the key to a successful transition to this policy means members of the community need to respect each others choices about whether or not a student, staff member or teacher chooses to continue wearing a mask.
McKnight says schools will continue providing KN95 masks to any individual who wants one. MCPS will also continue with its in-school rapid COVID testing program and it will continue distributing take-home COVID test kits.
"We don't want it to be a hardship for any of our students or staff if [wearing masks] is their choice," McKnight said.
Brenda Wolff, president of the school board, called teachers "heroic" during the course of the pandemic. Wolff said bullying of any kind around this issue will need to be reported and "consequences will be imposed."
MCPS is launching a campaign called "On or Off, It's Just Me" to promote kindness and respect about a person's mask choice. An email to families from MCPS Tuesday says the campaign will be promoted via signage, social media, public service announcements and community message.
"As a district, we expect our MCPS community to respect individual decisions about mask-wearing at this time," the email said. "Our staff and students must model kindness, acceptance and inclusivity. MCPS will work with students, staff and families to promote a shared understanding of respecting each individual’s decision as valid."
The lifting of the mask mandate also applies on school buses.
MCPS said in its email that its guidelines regarding quarantine and isolation still remains. Any student or staff who tests positive for COVID should stay home for at least five days and can return once certain health conditions are met. Students and staff who feel sick should continue staying home.
School leaders say vaccination continues to be the best tool in fighting the virus. Children over the age of 5 are eligible to get vaccinated and MCPS regularly updates its website to share upcoming vaccination clinics.
MCPS is the largest school district in the state of Maryland. Prince George's County Public Schools, the second largest district, is maintaining its indoor school mask mandate.
The email from MCPS says school district leaders will continue monitoring COVID data from the CDC "in collaboration with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, and revisit the issue of masks in school buildings, facilities and on school buses, if needed."