Northam warns school divisions that lack masking requirements
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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Thursday gave a warning to school divisions – like Henrico – that have not implemented universal masking requirements for the upcoming school year.
In a press conference, Northam suggested that districts that don’t follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance related to COVID-19 mitigation strategies will be in violation of state law.
Northam reiterated the language in Senate Bill 1303, which was introduced by Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant (R-Henrico) and passed earlier this year. The bill requires schools to offer in-person instruction this fall, and also to follow mitigation strategies from the CDC – guidance that currently urges masks for everyone in K-12 schools, regardless of their vaccination status.
“That law was passed by a strong bipartisan vote of the legislature and I expect school divisions to follow it,” Northam said. “If they choose not to follow it, they should have a frank discussion with their legal counsel.”
The CDC’s guidance for schools in substantial or high transmission localities includes universal indoor masking by all students, staff, teachers and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.
On July 27 — the same day that the CDC’s new guidance was released — the Henrico County Public Schools division announced to staff and families that masks will be optional for the 2021-2022 school year.
“While we encourage mask-wearing for those not fully vaccinated, we respect that mask-wearing is currently an individual’s choice,” the email from HCPS said.
HCPS spokesman Andy Jenks told the Citizen on Thursday that the school division intends to follow the law, but did not say whether or not the masking policy will change.
The update that HCPS sent last week reflected the conditions at that moment, and was issued just before the newest CDC guidance came out, as well as before the past week's worth of increases in community transmission, Jenks said. HCPS officials were making arrangements to bring updated recommendations to the Henrico School Board before Northam's press conference.
"We are developing carefully considered and nuanced plans for the upcoming school year," Jenks said. "Nuanced plans account for various aspects of school including athletics, band, chorus, drama, field trips, food service, health conditions, medical requirements, P.E., recess, visitors, volunteers, etc. By next week, we want to do more than give our students, families and community the 'headline' version of our plans."
Northam emphasized to Virginia school divisions that SB1303 was introduced by a Republican with bipartisan support; Henrico Delegate Schuyler VanValkenburg, a Democrat and history teacher at Glen Allen High School, was a co-sponsor in the House of Delegates.
“It’s the law of the land and we expect our school districts throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia to follow the law,” Northam said. “[The law] said that the schools would follow the CDC guidelines. I don’t know that it can be any simpler than that.”
HCPS, which is the sixth largest school division in Virginia in terms of enrollment, is the largest division that has announced a mask-optional policy. The only other school division in the top 10 that has announced an optional policy is Chesapeake Public Schools, which is the next most populous behind HCPS.
The Henrico School Board will discuss masking at its meeting next Thursday. There will be no announcements from HCPS regarding decisions on mask policy until after the board discusses the matter, according to Jenks.
This story was updated to include comments from the Henrico County Public Schools division.
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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.
