On Friday, Schools Superintendent Dr. LaTanya McDade announced the changes in policy at the state’s second-largest school division, ending a forced masking policy that had been in place since August. McDade’s announcement comes after the CDC revised its rules on Friday, February 26, which now recommends no masks in jurisdictions where coronavirus transmission is considered low.
According to the CDC, Prince William County has a low virus transmission rate, while Stafford County is ranked “medium” on the new three-tiered scale.
“Based on this revised guidance, effective immediately, masks are now optional for all [Prince William County Public Schools] employees and volunteers working in classrooms. [Prince William County Public Schools] will adjust these requirements should the community-level change,” penned McDade in a letter to school division employees.
Children and teachers in head-start classes must continue to wear masks, McDade noted. The federally-funded program serves children not yet in kindergarten.
Masks for children and drivers on school buses, teachers, and staff became optional on Thursday, February 24, in Stafford County Public Schools. Two days earlier, the County School Board cited an overwhelming demand from staff and parents who no longer wanted to be forced to wear masks.
Both school divisions in Prince William and Stafford counties allowed children to remove their masks earlier this month but kept the requirement for teachers until now. Stafford continues to require children and teachers in head start to wear masks.
In Manassas, students are no longer forced to wear facemasks in classrooms but must continue to wear them on school buses, according to a statement posted to the school division’s website as of this post.
