Moscow School Board removes masks rule effective March 12

This story has been updated from its original version to update incorrect information.

The Moscow School Board voted 3-2 to remove the district’s mask requirement weeks before it would have expired in early April after a long discussion and public comment period at a regular meeting Wednesday night.

Beginning March 12, students and staff in the Moscow School District will no longer be required to wear face coverings inside district buildings. Federal law still mandates masks on school buses.

Before a decision was made, Superintendent Greg Bailey provided a thorough presentation on local COVID-19 case numbers over the past two years.

“Safety is my No. 1 thing,” Bailey said. “But we can’t just continue to make everyone wear a mask for forever.”

School board members Brian Kennedy, Carolyn Shoemaker and board chairman Ken Faunce voted in favor of removing the mandate while board member Dawn Fazio and board vice-chairman Jim Frenzel voted against the measure.

Last week, Bailey discussed his recommendations to rescind the requirement during a community chat on Zoom. District staff were also surveyed to gauge their comfort level with the decision.

The mandate was set to expire at the end of the third quarter, April 7.

“My goal is to try to make as many people as happy as possible,” he said. “We’ll see how we do. I’ve gotten over 100 emails in the last three or four days, and honestly, it was mixed.”

He added that many parents in favor of removing the requirement said masks gave their children headaches and exacerbated social and emotional issues.

In discussions with Dr. Summer Day, pediatric medical director at Gritman Medical Center, it was noted that local case numbers are starting to drop. However, hospital staff reported feeling more comfortable if the requirement were to stay in place until spring break begins March 14.

“They understood when I had stated that I was looking at March 1,” Bailey said. “They were a little leery about that. They would like it to go to spring break.”

He noted that Carol Moehrle, director of Public Health – Idaho North Central District, is not expecting another surge in COVID-19 cases this spring. The health agency reported 18 cases in Latah County so far this week.

Some parents spoke during the public comment period to express where they land on the issue. One person said children now aren’t getting the same education their parents did.

“Every minute spent on COVID-19 protocol is a minute a kid is not being educated,” he said. “The time for that, I think, needs to wind down fairly soon because no one in this room had two years of their education set aside or modified so severely.”

Fazio said she has a daughter who’s immunocompromised and she kept her child home from school during the surge of the omicron variant.

“I’m concerned about families like that,” Fazio said. “It’s safety. And one of your No. 1 concerns is student safety.”

Bailey said the district has never been more aware of issues facing immunosuppressed individuals, thanks to the pandemic. However, he asked to what extent the district should continue mandating masks.

Board member Shoemaker said she understood the various concerns but was still hesitant to remove the requirement prematurely.

“As a health care provider, it’s very hard for me to proceed with (masks) as optional,” Shoemaker said. “I continue to see people who have been affected by COVID-19 and who have lost loved ones or continue to have health concerns of their own.”

Some felt the removal of the requirement can’t come soon enough.

After the vote, two parents approached Bailey and accused him of breaking a promise to remove the mandate by March 1. While he made recommendations, Bailey said he made no promises.

“Our kids will not be in masks,” one parent told him.

Even when the mandate expires in March, the school district will continue monitoring cases linked to classrooms and notify parents if their child is exposed to a positive case.

At a Pullman School Board meeting, also Wednesday, Superintendent Bob Maxwell provided an update on masking protocols in Washington state.

“We are required to continue wearing masks for staff and students while at any school or district facility until the mask is set to sunset as of March 21,” Maxwell said. “Obviously, after that date, students and staff will have the option of wearing masks while indoors at school.”

He said the school district is still waiting to receive additional written guidance from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee following his announcement last week.

The district is anticipating further guidance from the Washington State Department of Health, Department of Labor and Industries, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

“For now, we’re still following our guidelines that are currently in place and looking forward to that March 21 date,” Maxwell said. “We’ll see what other guidelines come along.”

Palermo can be reached at apalermo@dnews.com or on Twitter @apalermotweets.