On July 27th, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their “Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools”. In this update, the agency recommended “universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools regardless of vaccination status”. This guidance cites the increase in cases due to the Delta variant of COVID-19 as main reason for their position.
In most states, this document from the CDC is merely advice for policy makers. However, this March, the new majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and State Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 1303. This bill was promptly signed by Governor Northam. This bill states that each school board must “adhere, to the maximum extent practicable” all guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SB 1303 was designed to take the burden of decision making away from local officials and those in Richmond and give that responsibility to those in the federal government instead. Bureaucrats at the CDC’s headquarters in Georgia, unaccountable to the people of Virginia, are now given the power to create law in Virginia effecting our children.
On July 25th, the mask mandate in schools issued by the Virginia Health Commissioner expired – just two days before this new CDC guidance was issued.
On August 2nd, Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent LaTanye McDade announced that all students, faculty, and visitors would be required to wear masks indoors. The Superintendent cited the new CDC guidance and SB 1303 as reason for the policy decision. Those that are vaccinated must wear masks in the classroom. However, according to the new rules, the Superintendent and staff in “central offices” are allowed to go mask-less.
In other localities across the Commonwealth, there have been different interpretations of this new CDC guidance and SB 1303. Many school boards, when given the opportunity to vote on policy, are choosing to make masks optional for students and teachers. Other school districts are making it as easy as possible for parents to opt-out their children from wearing masks in the classroom.
All teachers in Virginia have had the opportunity to receive a vaccine since January. K-12 staff were a part of “Phase 1b” of vaccine distribution, along with Virginian’s over 65 and those with “High Risk Medical Conditions”.
To contact the Prince William County Public School Board, please visit this page on the PWCS website. You can also find your School Board member’s contact information on this page on ColesDistrict.org.
– Coles District Staff