Fredericksburg Leader

Stafford County Public Schools recently issued the following announcement.

The Stafford County School Board voted last night, February 10, 2022, to rescind the universal masking mandate for students and visitors that was established on January 20, 2022, on the grounds that universal masking for students and visitors is no longer practicable in Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS). The School Board also voted to share the legal opinion that the Board received in response to recent court rulings.

The effective date of the rescinded universal masking mandate for students and visitors will be Tuesday, February 22, 2022. Staff members must continue to wear a mask while in our buildings in conformance with Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) standards, until such time as VOSH regulations change. Beginning on this date, families will be responsible for setting masking expectations for their child; SCPS will not track masking preferences. In conformance with federal mask mandates, students will still be required to wear masks while on the bus and in our Head Start Early Childhood program. Additionally, students whose families opt out of wearing masks will be required to wear masks for five days if they test positive for COVID-19 when they return to school for Days 6-10, in conformance with the adopted guidelines on contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine protocols from February 8, 2022.

All students, staff, and visitors will continue to have the option to wear a face mask or face covering in our schools. No student, staff member, or visitor will be treated differently because of their status of wearing or not wearing a mask or face covering. SCPS will continue to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), which includes but is not limited to, the recommendation of wearing well-fitting masks or face coverings to stop the spread of COVID-19.

We know that for some, this news causes concern. We will provide all staff and students with KN95 or N95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) upon request. Further, we will continue to keep to three feet of social distancing to the extent practicable. Our priority is to keep staff and students safe while schools remain open for in-person learning.

Beginning February 22, 2022, the SCPS masking guidelines will be as follows:

• Per CDC guidelines, masking will still be a recommended practice to stop the spread of COVID-19 (unless changed by the CDC or state law). 

• Families will be responsible for setting masking expectations for their child; SCPS will not track masking preferences, there will be no forms. 

• Students will continue to wear a mask on the bus and in the Head Start Early Childhood program due to federal mandates until the CDC order is no longer in effect. 

• Students will need to wear a mask upon returning from isolation or quarantine on Days 6-10, in conformance with the guidelines that were adopted by the School Board on February 8, 2022. 

• Additional masks (N95 or KN95) and personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for staff or students upon request. 

• Staff must continue to wear a mask while in our buildings in conformance with VOSH standards, until such time as VOSH regulations change. 

• Physical distancing will be maintained to the extent practicable.

Original source can be found here.