Hofmeister: Mask mandate in schools `certainly a possibility'
Masks could become as common in Oklahoma classrooms as whiteboards and pencils, as schools and state officials consider whether to require face coverings for staff and students.
A mask mandate f or al l public schools in the state is “certainly a possibility,” state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister said.
The superintendent called masks the“bed rock” of slowing spread of the coronavirus and keeping schools open. Families who oppose masks f or anything other than a medical reason are free to choose virtual education, Hofmeister said.
“If people want to be in school in person, then we all need to be willing to keep others and ourselves safe by wearing a mask,” she said.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education has the authority to require masks for anyone entering a public school. It is possible the state board votes on a mask mandate in the coming months, if school districts don't selfimpose mask requirements on their own.
“It's certainly a possibility, but that's something that we will continue to look at what the districts are planning,” Hofmeister said. “If we see them doing this in a way that makes sense with the science and evidence, then that will be sufficient. If not, then it is our responsibility at the state level to ensure that there is protection for teachers, protection for students and their families.”
Most, if not all, districts in the state are planning to reopen with face-to-face classes and online learning alternatives.
H of meister said school closures will be a districtby-district decision this fall instead of a statewide order.
Districts have had more time to prepare for these realities, unlike in March when initial spread of the virus spurred the state to close all Oklahoma public schools.
Many districts are exploring mask requirements, said Shawn Hi me, executive director of t he Oklahoma State School Boards Association.
It would be easier for schools to require masks if statewide orders and societal norms supported
face coverings in all public spaces, he said.
“It's been such a politically charged topic,” Hime said. “It could become very difficult for many of our school leaders if we only had a statewide mandate for schools and not in other public buildings.”
Gov. Kevin Stitt said he would not issue a mask mandate, though he encouraged Oklahomans to wear them in public.
The cities of Norman and Still water have required face coverings in public, and Tulsa MayorG.T.Byn um said a similar ordinance could come before the Tulsa City Council on Wednesday. The Oklahoma City Council will hear advice about a mask ordinance from local health officials next week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends anyone age 2 or older wear cloth face coverings in public.
These create a barrier
against respiratory droplets traveling into the air or onto other people. The CDC says the coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets.
Oklahoma City Public Schools, the largest district in the state, will require face coverings for staff and visitors but not for students.
This is to prevent schools from having to di scip line students for not wearing masks, Deputy Superintendent Jason Brown said during a June 29 school board meeting.
Brown said the district would re-evaluate if the city or state enacted a mask mandate.
H of meister said all students, including young children, would become used to wearing face coverings.
“It's compelling enough that the safeguard is worth the hassle or sacrifice for those who feel it's uncomfortable or something they don't like,” she said.