Schools look at return to normal

Washington school districts will be able to make masks optional after Gov. Jay Inslee announced the indoor mask mandate for schools would be lifted March 21.

The decision was announced at a news conference Thursday with Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal.

“This is a big moment — this, as you heard, doesn’t mean that we’re at the end of a complicated virus that’s global. It means we get a little more flexibility now to take that next step,” Reykdal said. “We’ll do it effectively in school. We’ll continue to be safe while folks will continue to have the option of wearing masks if they choose, this takes the state mandate out of the way.”

Clarkston School District Superintendent Thaynan Knowlton said that when the mandate is lifted March 21, the school board won’t need to take further action to remove the mask requirement at the local level.

“Once the state makes it optional then that’ll be new state law, and that will do,” he said.

Knowlton said that starting March 21, masks will no longer be required for students and staff in Clarkston, although if people still want to wear them they will be able to continue to do so.

“We’re pretty excited that after two years, it looks like there’s an end in sight, so we’re excited about that,” Knowlton said.

Asotin-Anatone School District Superintendent Dale Bonfield said he is also glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel and returning to more normal operations for schools.

“To be able to see people’s faces and the smiles on their faces, that’s what we’ve missed for almost two years. It will really help the school atmosphere with students, staff and parents,” he said. “It was a tough ordeal, even though wearing the masks is what we had to do, but it wasn’t easy.”

Brady Woodbury, public health administrator for Asotin County, said that while the public health department has the authority to reinstate a mask mandate for school it’s not likely to happen. For example, if there is a COVID-19 outbreak at a school or in a classroom the department would use a more direct approach like having those infected and exposed be tested and wear a mask for 10 days.

Woodbury already received numerous calls Thursday concerning the mask mandate and rumors about local implications, but restated that the local health department has no plans for a mask requirement at the schools.

Even though the mask requirements will be lifted starting March 21 for schools, Woodbury said wearing masks is still the recommendation of the department as well as other standard measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 like good ventilation.

“Masks are effective when they’re used right. They do work,” he said, noting that other illnesses in schools like flus, colds and respiratory diseases also declined when students were wearing masks.

On Tuesday, about 50 superintendents from southeastern Washington signed a letter to the governor, state superintendent and Dr. Umair Shah, secretary of health, asking for the removal of the statewide mask mandate. Superintendents from the region who signed the letter included Jerry Pugh, Colfax; Suzanne Schmick, St. John-Endicott; Zane Wells, Garfield; Doug Curtis, LaCrosse; Jake Dingman, Oakesdale; Mike Jones, Palouse; Eric Patton, Steptoe; and John Cordell, Tekoa.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.