SPOKANE, Wash. — As the Washington state mask mandate nears its end at midnight tonight, Spokane Public Schools (SPS) and the Central Valley School District (CVSD) are updating their mask regulations.
According to letter to SPS families, starting this Saturday, masks will be optional while in SPS buildings and buses.
"Please remember that many in our school community will choose to continue wearing masks for various personal reasons," the district said. "We ask that SPS staff, students and families kindly respect everyone’s decision."
The updated rules for SPS are as follows:
- Masks will be optional in all SPS buildings (except in student health care and COVID-19 isolation rooms)
- Families are encouraged to visit the weekly COVID-19 dashboard. Letters to families regarding positive cases and quarantines will be discontinued. Testing will not be required for athletics.
- Masks are optional for all curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular performance art activities
- SPS will end contact tracing. Families must fill out the COVID-19 reporting form to report symptoms, or a positive COVID-19 case.
SPS will continue to require staff, students and volunteers to follow SPS health and safety protocols when symptomatic or positive for COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status.
For CVSD, masks will be optional as well, with a few exceptions.
The updated mask rules for CVSD are as follows:
- With few exceptions, students and staff will have the choice to wear a mask at school and on school buses with the expectation that others’ choices will be respected by all.
- Masks are still required in limited settings and situations, such as the nurse/health/isolation room.
- Students or staff who test positive for COVID-19 are still required to isolate for five (5) days, regardless of vaccination status, and negative test upon return to school on day 6 or wear a well-fitting mask for days 6-10. A 10-day isolation is required for those who choose not to test or wear a well-fitting mask.
- Any student or staff who reports or exhibits COVID-19-like symptoms is required to be immediately isolated from others, sent home, and referred to testing as soon as feasible, regardless of vaccination status. Students and staff with symptoms can test to return to school with two negative antigen tests, 24 hours apart.
- Access to diagnostic testing will continue to be available at all school buildings for students and staff with symptoms or who were potentially exposed and want to test.
- CVSD’s COVID-19 Dashboard will continue to be updated daily and our schools will continue communications to staff and families about positive COVID-19 cases in classes/cohorts/teams.