PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon's mask mandate for schools will end on March 31, leaving school districts across the state with a big decision to make soon about whether to continue requiring masks.
But some aren't going to wait. The school boards for the Molalla River School District and the Redmond School District near Bend have both announced plans to make masks optional ahead of the state deadline.
On Friday, students in the Molalla River School District were not in school after district leaders chose to cancel class due to anti-mask protests this week. Unsurprisingly, masks were a big topic of discussion at a school board meeting Thursday night.
The board voted to direct the district superintendent to create a plan to make masking optional by March 3, nearly a full month sooner than the state's planned March 31 date to drop the mandate.
“In all reality we're looking at a matter of weeks until we're back into compliance,” board member Amy McNeil said during the meeting.
“I strongly believe that this resolution is much needed for our district and the sooner we can implement it the better,” she added.
Board members settled on March 3 after discussing a feasible date for implementation. One board member, Neal Lucht, objected to the faster scheduled, and said he had spoken to a teacher and student who hoped the district would wait until March 31.
KGW spoke with one parent on social media who expressed concern about potential funding issues if the mask mandate is lifted in the district sooner than that state's March 31 date.
The board passed the motion with added wording that vaccinations would also be optional.
The Redmond School District board near Bend also weighed in this week, directing the district superintendent to create a plan by March 2 that would make masking optional for students.
Portland Public Schools, the largest district in the state, has not yet made a decision about what its mask rules will look like after the statewide mandate ends.