Montgomery County School Board votes unanimously to lift mask mandate in all schools, buses

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Effective immediately – masks will no longer be required in Montgomery County public schools.

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to remove the indoor mask mandate in all county schools, facilities, and buses.

Although some members were absent, the Montgomery County School Board approved a mask-optional policy – which it says aligns with revised Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that no longer recommend universal mask-wearing in schools.

Among those who testified on the matter this morning: a third-grader who told the board his teacher can’t hear him through the mask and tells the student to yell. 

Parents of immunocompromised students said their children cannot safely attend school if the school mask mandate ends. 

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The subject of bullying around mask-wearing also came up – including a recent incident where a student school board member was harassed online for saying she wanted to keep masks on in schools. This drew an emotional response from Superintendent Dr. Monifa McKnight. 

"When Ms. Mitchell made her comment about ‘be kind,’ I always end with our children are always watching," Dr. Mcknight stated. "They’re always watching. And we talk about the mental health crisis right now, we have to be cognizant of what we are modeling to them. They’re depending on us for stability and all these things that we say are important."

The school board said in a press release prior to the vote that it understood changes to the mask policy would be "welcome to some, and it may be worrying to others."

"There will be students, teachers, and administrators who want or need to continue to mask in our schools. We must respect that," the statement reads. "MCPS will monitor virus conditions in our county and schools. Should there be a need to shift masking guidance, decisions will be made in collaboration with our local and state health partners, as well as the MCPS COVID-19 Advisory Team."