MUSD makes masks optional for summer school

After a brief hiatus, COVID-19 and mask mandates returned for discussion at the Maricopa Unified School District Governing Board meeting on Wednesday. This time, however, a policy changed indicated progress against the virus.

The board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of Dr. Tracey Lopeman, district superintendent, to require masks indoors in its schools and buildings through the end of the school year on May 27. During that period, masks outside will be recommended, but not required.

But with the start of summer school on June 1, masks will become optional both indoors and outdoors. The district will continue to recommend them, but students will have the option to forgo wearing them.

The district will monitor case counts closely, and Lopeman will have the authority to reinstate the mask mandate – without board approval – should the number of positive tests rise to a level that warrants it. Lopeman said her office reviewed district policy and it gives the superintendent the authority to make changes as necessary for safety reasons.

Board members were excited to be able to make such a positive step. They supported the idea of masks indoors for the balance of the school year to keep from losing ground the district has worked so hard to gain against the virus.

“I just want to get through the end of the year and have in-person celebrations,” said board member Torri Anderson. “And if that means we have to keep wearing masks inside, then let’s do it. Changing anything now I think would be chaos, and we would risk losing our in-person celebrations. I am fully in support of making masks in summer school optional depending on our numbers. It gives me hope that starting the school year, we can do it without masks.”

Board president Ben Owens noted that lifting the indoor mask mandate indoors could lead to some students having to quarantine and miss their graduation if COVID-19 cases rose with students in close proximity in classrooms for finals.

Board vice president AnnaMarie Knorr said she has struggled with the issue.

“Part of keeping schools open was putting these mitigation measures in place, including masks,” she said. “Then we asked parents to sign their kids up for in-person or distance learning. I hesitate to change the rules in the middle of the game, so to speak, on masks, because some people could see that as a game-changer for the safety of their children.

“But at the same time, I want to move toward choice in masks and letting parents and families decide if they want to wear their children to wear them,” she added.

Knorr also proposed reducing the length of quarantine times, but the issue could not be discussed or voted on as it was not on the meeting agenda. She said that would accomplish another positive step for the board.

“I want to move toward us not being the COVID police,” she said.

Anderson said there is no reason to change course mid-stream.

“I don’t want to change anything because we’ve gotten this far,” she said. “So, if what we’re doing is working, I think we need to continue doing what we’re doing until May 27.”