RICHMOND, Va. — In the midst of many Virginia school districts returning to in-person learning, the governor of the commonwealth has made his stance on masks crystal clear. Gov. Ralph Northam issued a Public Health Emergency Order Thursday requiring universal masking inside all K-12 public schools in the state.
“We all share the same goal of keeping our schools open and keeping our students safe," Northam said. "This Public Health Order makes it very clear that masks are required in all indoor K-12 settings, and Virginia expects all schools to comply."
The order falls in line with current CDC guidance recommending masking by all students (age 2 and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. As of Aug. 10, the entire DMV region was either in the high or substantial COVID-19 community transmission classification, meaning the CDC would recommend indoor masking in all public locations, again regardless of vaccination status.
On Tuesday, Gov. Northam also signed House Bill 7001, providing $500 million to projects aiming to improve ventilation and air quality in public schools.
“The vast majority of school districts have chosen to follow the CDC and keep their school communities safe,” State Superintendent Dr. James Lane said. “Universal masking has worked in school settings across Virginia for the past year and a half, and it remains a critical part of our safety protocols."
Just Monday, the Fauquier County School Board voted to keep masks optional for students, faculty, and staff when schools reopened on Wednesday.
That could all change on Friday as the school board is slated to have a special meeting with only one item on the agenda, masks. The potential change in policy has some parents concerned.
"I am against it," Fauquier parent Jacqueline Riahi said. "I recognize COVID as a serious concern for a lot of people but I don't believe that the federal government or the state government should be mandating or dictating wardrobe for individuals or families. I think that should be up to me to decide what's best for my children on taking into consideration their needs, emotionally, mentally and physically.”
Riahi said as much as she believes it is a personal choice, she said she has a whole pile of masks ready to send with her three kids to school if the district votes to require them in Friday's meeting.
While some parents have been opposed to a mask rule in schools, Fauquier County parent Amber Forry said she would be relieved if the district changed its policy to abide by the Governor's mandate.
“I think it will be a big relief," Forry said. "I think it will be a big relief not just for parents but for teachers as well. You know everybody really ultimately wants what's best for the children. They want to give them a quality education in the safest way possible and this is really the best way of doing that.”
In Monday's meeting board member Duke Bland was the sole voice pushing for mandatory masking.
“We very rapidly moved from moderate to substantial to high,” he said, pointing to CDC data on the spread of COVID among children. “As of a week ago, 192 children with COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals each and every day,...46% had no preexisting conditions, and 416 ages 0 to 18 have died."
Board chairman Donna Grove, however, pushed to make masking voluntary.
"It is well documented that there are downsides to mask-wearing – especially for young children," she said to a wave of applause, according to the Fauquier Times. "Young children need to see facial expressions; they need to see the teacher forming words; they need to see smiles."
Neighboring Spotsylvania County just voted to mandate masks, reversing its July decision to give parents a chance to opt their students out of the mask mandate.
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