Masks are still the rule at nearly all Sacramento-area schools, but for how much longer?

With California poised to lift its masking requirement for K-12 classrooms in two weeks, the clock has started for Sacramento area schools to prepare for a policy change that could mark the waning days of the pandemic.

The impending end of required masking at California public schools comes as districts have started to recover from an intense wave of COVID-19 cases fueled by the omicron variant during the winter break. The surge left hundreds of students and teachers sick or quarantining at home.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said Monday the state is prepared to end the school mask mandate in two weeks if COVID-19 cases continue to climb down. In that scenario, the state would continue to “strongly recommend” masks for students and staff.

The two-week wait now gives Sacramento area school districts and county health officials time to plan, talk over changes and add additional safeguards. Most districts said they will maintain their mask mandates until receiving further guidance from local public health officials.

Officials at Northern California’s largest school district, Elk Grove Unified, notified parents Tuesday afternoon that the district’s indoor mask mandate will remain in place for now. District officials asked for their cooperation and urged them to “please speak with your student/s and remind them to adhere to school rules.”

“Please know that we are aware of the varying public opinions regarding masking and we hear you,” district officials said in the letter posted to the district’s website. “Our families, students and staff want children in school, learning in-person, where socialization, peer collaboration and engaged teaching and learning can take place, and that is why we are vigilant in our efforts to keep students in school.”

District leaders have said face coverings in the 63,000-student district have been an effective tool to help keep students in class and COVID-19 cases in check.

“As the virus, science and guidance evolve, we’ll continue to use a multilayered approach to keep students safe,” Elk Grove Unified School District Board Trustee Nancy Chaires Espinoza told The Bee last week.

Its COVID-19 case rate has steadily dropped in recent weeks — a seven-day average case rate of 69.25 per 100,000 on Sunday, compared to a peak of 221 cases per 100,000, on Jan. 13.

But vaccination among children, particularly the youngest eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines, remains low in Sacramento County. Just over a third of kids ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, a trend in line with statewide figures. About 62% of county kids ages 12-19 are at least partially vaccinated.

Vaccine deadline nears for Sacramento students

At Sacramento City Unified School District, only about 42% of the district’s roughly 38,000 eligible students have reported they are either fully or partially vaccinated.

Students 12 and up are required by the district to get fully vaccinated by Feb. 28 to remain in regular in-person classes. Face coverings will still be a requirement for now, said district spokesman Al Goldberg.

“We really can’t get ahead of anything,” Goldberg said.

Natomas Unified School District officials wrote in a community post Tuesday that the state’s recent announcement indicates “that it is not if, but when mask guidance in schools will be changed.”

“We are aware for some that a change is wanted now,” officials wrote, adding the the mask mandate still applies in classrooms as of now. “In nine school days, we expect to know more about the state’s approach to changing mask requirements.”

San Juan Unified School District will also maintain its face covering mandate, according to spokeswoman Raj Rai. Districts in other nearby counties are also in a wait-and-see mode.

Roseville Joint Unified High School District stopped enforcing masks for its students Tuesday, following a resolution by its Board of Trustees last week adopting an optional mask policy.

In an email to The Bee, Superintendent John Becker said its teachers and staff continue to mask, but students are allowed to attend in-person class without a mask if they choose. Masks are available on campuses for those who want one.

“We are going to take it one day at a time and do the best we can for our students,” he said.

School unions wanted masks, COVID testing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have long supported universal masking policies at schools, advocating students and staff wear well-fitting, high-quality masks to reduce transmission.

But as vaccines became increasingly available, some health experts have urged for the end of mask mandates for students. Critics argue that the threat of serious COVID-19 harm for children is low, and that masks can be a psychological stressor that disrupts learning and makes social interactions more difficult.

As districts pushed to get students back into the classroom last fall, unions representing teachers and school staff — adults who would be at much higher risk for COVID-19 — prioritized vaccine and testing mandates as conditions for reopening.

The Roseville Secondary Education Association, which represents teachers, this week criticized its school district’s decision to ignore the state’s mask mandate.

“The board has done little to defend the teachers,” the union statement said. “Teachers, who have been under constant pressure and attack these last two years, are now being turned into the enemy not only in our own district but across the nation. The resolution in response to COVID protocols passed by the Board 4-0 ... will only intensify this pressure and stress when teachers are forced to choose between violating the state mandate or violating the board’s decision.”

The Roseville union is affiliated with the California Teachers Association, the state’s largest union for teachers. Its president, E. Toby Boyd, released a statement saying the union supports “local decisions that prioritize the safety of our communities.”

“We know that masking, strong testing programs and having good school ventilation systems in place have been key to ensuring the stability of in-person teaching and learning,” he said.

He continued, “as much as we all want this pandemic to be over, we are not out of the woods yet.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 12:42 PM.