Sacramento-area county leaders urge California to allow local decision on masks in schools

With the support of several local officials, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that urges California to allow local determination of whether children should wear masks to school in the fall.

After hours of discussion and public comments, the board passed the resolution 4-1 Tuesday, with Supervisor Sue Novasel of District 5 voting against it.

“Ultimately the Board agreed to some amended language in the Resolution,” said Carla Hass, county director of communications.

The resolution “resolves to urge the state to allow local decision making” on face masks at school, she said.

The Resolution for Healthy Kids, which calls to advocate on behalf of parents to California’s decision makers that mask requirements be made at the local school level, not at the state level. Face coverings would be optional, regardless of vaccination status, according to the Board of Supervisors agenda.

“It is critical that local governments, health departments, and school districts play a bigger role in deciding what is best for their communities,” the letter reads. “I support the efforts of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors to ensure the parents of our communities’ students are allowed to make their own best decisions.”

El Dorado County Sheriff John D’Agostini and Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, announced their support for a resolution being considered by the board.

In support of the resolution, Kiley wrote on his blog that the state is “causing kids pain for no good reason.”

Local officials are beginning to speak out, hoping for more localized decisions on mask mandates.

But while many families are hopeful that state officials will loosen mask requirements at K-12 schools before the fall, state officials announced on June 9 that the state will follow masking guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when California reopens from the coronavirus pandemic. As of now, masks are still required inside K-12 schools.

Officials at the El Dorado County Office of Education told The Sacramento Bee on Tuesday that guidance regarding face coverings will come from the the California Department of Public Health.

This story was originally published June 30, 2021 at 11:27 AM.