States

What’s Up With Mask Requirements in Schools? 6 Things to Know

By Stacey Decker & Holly Peele — February 14, 2022 | Updated: February 15, 2022 1 min read
Image of a mask being held by two hands.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

There’s been a flurry of activity nationwide around masks in schools.

Last week, officials in seven states announced their school mask requirements were ending. Some are considering going even further and banning schools from setting universal mask mandates. That’s despite the current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all students and adults age 2 and older wear face coverings in schools to protect themselves and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

When states get rid of mask policies, it puts the onus on district leaders to decide whether or not to require students and staff to mask up. That’s a high-stakes decision that greatly impacts vulnerable students and their families. It’s also complex. Districts have to weigh multiple factors that go beyond just community infection rates.

See Also

Two students wearing masks and backpacks in front of lockers.
E+

And when state officials ban universal mask mandates in schools, whether by law or by executive action, leaders in districts that have them have to pivot or, as has happened elsewhere, defy their state.

Education Week has been monitoring state-level mask policies this school year. To help the K-12 community brace for the impact of upcoming changes, here’s a look at what’s ahead:

What’s going on with mask requirements?

  • Currently, 13 states and the District of Columbia require masks to be worn in schools, down from a high of 18 states and the District of Columbia earlier this school year.
  • By March 31, requirements in six of these states will have ended. Those states are Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Rhode Island.
  • Only a handful of states have not announced a final end date for their mask requirements, although some are set to expire in coming weeks. California is planning to reassess their mandate on Feb. 28.

What about mask mandate bans?

  • Currently, four states have bans in effect that prevent school districts from setting universal mask mandates: Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.
  • Six additional states have such bans, but they have been blocked or suspended by the courts.
  • In recent weeks, legislation has been introduced in some states, including Virginia and West Virginia, that would ban schools from requiring masks or would allow parents to opt out of any mask requirement.

Want to know your state’s policy? Education Week is tracking state policies on masking in school here.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Webinar Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Achievement Webinar
Student Success Strategies: Flexibility, Recovery & More
Join us for Student Success Strategies to explore flexibility, credit recovery & more. Learn how districts keep students on track.
Content provided by Pearson

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States Oklahoma Takes Step to Require Parents to Provide Schools Proof of Citizenship
Leaders in at least three states have made efforts to collect data on undocumented students, or outright ban them.
4 min read
State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education during a meeting, Aug. 24, 2023, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education during a meeting, Aug. 24, 2023, in Oklahoma City, Okla. On Jan. 28, the state board unanimously approved a proposed rule to require schools to collect students' immigration status information.
Daniel Shular/Tulsa World via AP
States Opinion The Age of 'Adulthood' Varies by State. This Matters for Your Students
States set different limits on when kids can do different things. What does this mean for education?
8 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
States Which States Require the Most—and Least—Instructional Time? Find Out
There's no national policy dictating how much time students must attend classes each year. That leads to wide variation by state.
2 min read
Image of someone working on a calendar.
Chainarong Prasertthai/iStock/Getty
States More States Are Testing the Limits Around Religion in Public Schools
A wave of state policies mixing public education and religion are challenging the church-state divide in public schools.
4 min read
An empty classroom is shown at A.G. Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston.
An empty classroom is shown at A.G. Hilliard Elementary School on Sept. 2, 2017, in Houston. Texas's state school board has approved a curriculum with Bible-infused lessons, the latest of a wave of state policies challenging the church-state divide in schools.
David J. Phillip/AP