Guidance for masks in schools varies widely
Politics, locality’s size play roles in their use
DES MOINES, Iowa — School districts that plan to reopen classrooms in the fall are wrestling with whether to require teachers and students to wear face masks — an issue that has divided urban and rural schools and yielded widely varying guidance.
The divide has also taken on political dimensions in Iowa, among other places, where Democratic-leaning cities like Des Moines and Iowa City have required masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while smaller, more conservative communities have left the decision to parents.
“It’s a volatile issue,” said Mike Mcgrory, superintendent in Ottumwa, a district in the state’s southeast corner. “You have to be very sensitive and realize there are lots of perspectives.”
Mcgrory said it would have been easier if state health officials had issued specific rules, but because that did not happen, the district gave weight to the state Education Department’s recommendation against a mask requirement.
Many states call for teachers to wear masks, including Nevada, Alaska, Connecticut, California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Utah and Washington. Some require masks for students. Many others are leaving the decision to local officials.
Dr. Rob Murphy, an infectious disease expert at Northwestern University, said that from a medical perspective, it should be an easy choice: Wear a mask in school.
Schools should take other steps, too, including reducing class sizes, limiting contact sports and screening students and teachers before they enter school buildings, Murphy said. But a first and essential step should be a mask requirement, said Murphy, who called the current lack of direction a “no-plan plan.”
“This is how ridiculous the whole situation is. It’s all over the place,” Murphy said. “There’s a lack of any continuity to this. There’s nobody at the wheel.”
Even among health experts, there are disagreements. Many districts point to a recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which urges school officials to encourage but not require face coverings. The organization stresses the need for students to return to school and notes that coverings can impede learning for some children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended students and teachers wear masks whenever feasible.
Other countries where schools have reopened have stopped short of mandating masks for all students.
In France, public schools reopened briefly before a summer break, with no sign of widespread virus transmission. Masks were only required for upper grades, but students stayed in the same classroom all day.
In Norway, nursery schools reopened first, followed by other grades. Children were put in smaller groups that stay together all day. Masks were not required.