Henrico Schools enacts mask-optional rule after Youngkin signs law to end mandates

For the first time in almost two years, Henrico County Public Schools students will be allowed to attend school without wearing a face mask.

The school division announced to students and staff Wednesday evening that the new mask optional rule will go into effect on Thursday, following the passage of a new law that bans school mask mandates.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the measure into law on Wednesday afternoon on the steps of the state capitol.

“This is not about any individual. It is about us,” Youngkin said as he was surrounded by students, including some from HCPS. “Today we are reestablishing and restoring power back to parents.”

The law went into effect as the bill was signed, but the law stipulates that school divisions have until March 1 to comply.

However, HCPS officials chose to implement mask-optional rules immediately.

Spokeswoman Eileen Cox said that the school division was in a position to make the change immediately “without impacting the structure of instructional programs.”

“Since it's always our goal to be in compliance with the law as soon as we are able, that's what we've done,” Cox said. “It's still our hope that families and students will continue to wear masks indoors at school. However we do acknowledge that in accordance with the state law, we must respect their choice and allow students to wear or to stop wearing masks if that is their family's decision.”

The message to families said that school counselors and administrators will be available to help students who may experience anxiety or stress due to the change.

Students from Deep Run High School were at the state capitol on Wednesday afternoon as Youngkin signed the bill. The students cheered and took selfies with State Senator Siobhan Dunnavant (R- Henrico) who introduced the bill that later included an amendment regarding mask mandates.

When masks were still required by HCPS, the majority of students who defied the rules were at Deep Run High School. The school division ended up allowing those students to attend class without masks, but later changed the rules again following a court ruling that temporarily blocked Youngkin’s executive order to give parents the option to opt their children out of school mask mandates.

The Henrico senator was met with applause as she said how wonderful it was to see everybody’s faces, referencing the fact that none of the children wore a mask.

“It is time to stop putting children last,” Dunnavant said. “Parents make the decisions for their children. The political entities need to get out.”

Youngkin told reporters Wednesday that the new law should put to bed the several active lawsuits regarding his executive order, which sought to end school mask mandates.

While HCPS announced that its mask optional rules would go into effect Thursday, neighboring Richmond Public Schools held off on an announcement Wednesday. RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras said in a message to families that he would send an update on Thursday.

"As I've shared before, I think this is bad policy that will undermine our ability to keep everyone safe and limit interruptions to learning," Kamras said in the message. "That said, it is now the law in the Commonwealth. We're assessing exactly what the legislation requires and its implications for RPS."

Chesterfield County Public Schools lifted its mask mandate in late January.

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Anna Bryson is the Henrico Citizen’s education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar.