Back-to-School Policies Shifting

(from the Washington Post and the New York Times) With a mix of optimism and trepidation, teachers and students began returning to classrooms in large numbers Monday, as the nation opens a third straight school year upended by the pandemic. As the Delta variant of COVID-19 spreads, school leaders are reevaluating policies on buses, masks, quarantining and more. Already, some districts have pushed back the start date for school as local caseloads surge. Some local district leaders are defying state governor orders banning mask mandates and requiring all in schools to mask, as recommended by the CDC.

Research from last spring suggests schools that require masks are less likely to be transmission zones for the virus. The researchers urge schools to offer incentives to children who are masking and vaccinated when age appropriate. For example, if universal masking is enforced or a student is vaccinated, it’s reasonable for schools to decide not to require quarantining or testing after exposure for asymptomatic children and adults. 

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