Roseville school district to make masks optional for students starting next week

The Roseville Joint Union High School District officials passed a resolution Wednesday night making masks optional for students starting Tuesday, making it the first district in the region to adopt such a policy.

The board’s decision comes ahead of an anticipated announcement from Gov. Gavin Newsom next week on changing rules for masking in California schools. The statewide indoor mask mandate is set to be lifted for vaccinated individuals on Feb. 15, but the state has yet to issue new guidance for students.

“Be it further resolved by the Roseville Joint Union High School District Board of Trustees recommends, regardless of vaccination status, personal and parent choice with respect to whether or not children, staff and teachers should wear face coverings while at school commencing when the state indoor mask mandated is lifted,” the resolution said.

The resolution said the district had sent multiple letters to Newsom and the California Department of Public Health over the issue of masking, and the desire to have local control, with no response.

The district said it would continue to provide N95 masks to teachers, staff and students daily. And will not be testing asymptomatic students in lieu of masking.

The resolution called Newsom’s mask mandate for students in grades K through 12 “ill-advised,” and “in opposition to the educational and social-emotional goals of the State and the District.”

“In a 4-0 vote, RJUHSD passes a resolution giving mask-choice to students effective 2/15, when the state-wide indoor mask mandate expires,” said Jonathan Zachreson, founder of Reopen CA Schools in a social media post. “Almost all public comment in a packed board meeting favored mask-choice. Very proud of my kids’ home school district!”

Public comment continued for nearly three hours, with the majority of parents and others speaking in favor of an optional mask policy.

“They are noticing their surroundings, they are making good decisions, and they are noticing the hypocrisy that is pushed upon them that when I stand up in a lunch room I have to put on a mask but when I sit down with 200 kids without a mask, that’s totally fine,” said Mark Anderson, a parent, during public comment. “Thank you again to the kids. Thank you for being critical thinker. Let’s move forward. No more masks.”