Washington schools to begin lifting mask requirements March 12 despite union pushback

The Washington State Department of Health has confirmed that schools, child care, and day camps will follow the rest of the state in lifting indoor mask requirements on March 12.

Few requirements remain in recognition of a different phase of the pandemic as COVID case rates continue to fall and pandemic-era restrictions abate. King County lifted its vaccine requirement for bars, restaurants, gyms, and indoor facilities earlier in March. On Saturday, masks will no longer be required statewide excepting select settings, including health care and correctional facilities. Local governments and individual businesses have the authority to retain masking requirements should they so choose.

Gov. Inslee moves end date for state’s indoor mask mandate up to March 12

“In-person education and care are valuable to social and emotional health,” wrote Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health, in a news release. “This new guidance focuses on ways to meet critical state public health requirements while also focusing on keeping kids in school and childcare.”

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) will follow the state in lifting its masking requirements two days later on March 14. The school district emphasized that masks are still encouraged for students and staff after the mandate ends, but will not be required.

“As we have since the onset of COVID-19, Seattle Public Schools follows the guidance of Public Health on health and safety,” wrote SPS Superintendent Brent Jones in a news release. “While Public Health is no longer mandating masks, masking is an individual choice. We won’t tolerate shaming or judging anyone in our schools for wearing a mask or not wearing a mask.”

The decision to remove masking requirements in schools follows reports that the Seattle Education Association (SEA), the teachers’ union that represents SPS, bargained for a later May 1 date.

“Masks contribute to feelings of safety and normalcy that schools provide our students. Removing masks will significantly disrupt that sense of normalcy, and educators will struggle to explain to students why we are removing masks so soon,” the educators wrote to King County Health Officer Dr. Jeff Duchin and interim Public Health Director Dennis Worsham.

In a jointly released statement, Jennifer Matter, president of SEA, and Uti Hawkins, bargaining chair of SEA, said they are “deeply disappointed” by the decision to lift the mask requirement. The union was scheduled to bargain mask requirements Friday, and describes the choice to update mask guidelines before that date as tantamount to a violation of their memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the district.

“The District cannot unilaterally ignore an agreed-upon MOU, and now is leaving educators scrambling with just days before lifting the mask mandate. … Clearly, SPS misled us,” the statement reads.

“We had hoped for a better start to Dr. Jones’ permanent tenure.  He was lauded for the stability he created and his ability to work with labor and others, but today he failed. SEA was making progress in our relationship, but we now have serious concerns about his leadership.  Sadly, our trust has been shaken and we have gone backward.  This does not bode well for future negotiations.”

New guidelines for schools in Washington emphasize a “layered approach” in the mitigation of COVID spread: prevention measures such as masks, screening tests, ventilation, and encouraging individuals to use COVID-19 prevention strategies through vaccination, distancing, testing, and masking for personal protection.

Some strict requirements remain. Schools are still required to track and report COVID-19 cases, isolate symptomatic staff and students for five days, and provide access to timely diagnostic testing for symptomatic or exposed students and staff.

A complete listing of school requirements and guidelines from the state can be found here.

COVID vaccines are currently not required for K-12 students.

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