While school districts across the country have announced the end of mandatory mask policies after the CDC last Friday issued updated guidance saying that universal masking is unnecessary in the vast majority of places where Covid-19 cases have dropped, CMSD will keep its mask mandate but cease enforcing it.
The decision, CMSD CEO Eric Gordon said in message to students, families and staff, was due to Cleveland’s poor vaccination rate — only 20% of kids ages 5 to 11 are vaccinated.
“Because of the low vaccination rate among our community’s youth, we are keeping our mask requirement in place. Enforcement may not be as rigid, but the message is clear: The risk continues, and everyone who enters our buildings should wear a mask for their sake and the sake of those around them,” a CMSD statement said.
The teachers union wasn’t involved in the decision, CTU President Shari Obrenski said in a statement. “We have several questions regarding the statement and hope to discuss them with district officials very soon.”
While Covid cases and hospitalizations in Ohio have plunged — daily cases have plunged 94% from the January peak — the state ranks poorly (17th least) for vaccinations, according to data from the New York Times.
This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 8, 2022.