Washington parents’ group plans to protest mandatory masking in schools

A grassroots parents’ group is behind an effort to hold anti-masking demonstrations at every school district headquarters in the state on Wednesday.

Superintendent says protocols make Washington classrooms some of the ‘safest in the country’

The group organizing the rallies is called “For the Kids.” It says it wants to protest mandatory masking in schools. Organizers say they have commitments from people in nearly half of all Washington’s school districts that they will show up. There are approximately 295 school districts in Washington.

In Washington, masks are required for all K-12 students and school employees, which matches guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC’s update advises that “everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission wear a mask, even if vaccinated,” as well as indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors at schools nationwide. Schools in Washington will also continue to offer in-person learning with three feet of physical distance in classrooms.

Washington to follow CDC guidance, recommends all people wear masks indoors

Several Washington Republican lawmakers previously sent a letter to the governor, asking him to reconsider his statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools.

Eastern Washington Representative Mary Dye signed on to the letter, telling KTTH’s Jason Rantz Show that the decision to mask up should be left to parents and local school boards.

“They are feeling very much pressure from the state that they have to enforce it, that there could be penalties. So the parents just feel like this is another step up of state control over their local schools,” Dye said.

The KIRO Radio Newsdesk contributed to this report.

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