Daniella Flores | Writer
March 4, 2022
On Monday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state health officials announced that after Friday, March 11, indoor masking will no longer be mandatory for California K-12 students, though it is still strongly recommended. Students will not be required to wear a mask regardless of their vaccination status beginning on Monday March 14.
“California continues to adjust our policies based on the latest data and science, applying what we’ve learned over the past two years to guide our response to the pandemic,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in his statement. “Masks are an effective tool to minimize spread of the virus and future variants, especially when transmission rates are high.”
Although the state has gone through with lifting the mandate, districts still have the option of keeping their mask guidelines in place. More than 1,000 school districts face making their own decision on their own mask guidelines.
In recent weeks, online discourse and in-person protests on school campuses have put more pressure on Gov. Newsom and state officials.
Some schools in California have opted to defy the state’s mask policy. Although the state has not directly responded, insurance carriers have notified local officials that there are legal risks if their school is out of compliance with state guidelines.
Locally, groups such as Student Mask Choice Group and Mom’s on the Ground O.C. have formed to protest and advocate for mask choice in their schools. On February 16, Student Mask Choice Group even came to San Clemente High School in hopes to rally protesters for their cause.
“I think that there was always a plan in place to lift the mandate, but that timeline was moved up based on both protests and case numbers declining quickly,” junior Mia DeRouchey said, when asked about the impact of protests on the mask guidelines.
Parents and guardians of Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) received an email on Monday night regarding the updated guidelines. “We want every student and employee to feel fully supported in their choice of mask choice – whether they choose to follow the recommendation or not,” said CUSD in a statement they put out on Monday night.
“I am choosing to not wear a mask after the mandate. Though I believe masks are important and do help to fight against COVID-19, I have had it already and I’ve been vaccinated and boosted,” junior Emily Ellinger said.
The mask mandate lift will be the first time students will return to school maskless in roughly two years. It will be interesting to see what this mask-free era brings for students and educators in the classroom.
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