School Board Statement on Changes to Universal Masking

The Fairfax County School Board values our caring culture, which includes protecting our most vulnerable students and staff. 

Based on new metrics and CDC guidance, FCPS will now adjust our roll back plan and allow everyone - staff and parents/guardians of FCPS students - to make a choice whether or not they will wear a mask starting Tuesday, March 1

The Fairfax County School Board values our caring culture, which includes protecting our most vulnerable students and staff. 

Fairfax County Public Schools will continue to have a mask requirement until we reach a moderate community transmission level. We strongly recommend that parents/guardians continue to have their children wear masks in school. 

FCPS continues to focus on doing everything possible to ensure the health and safety of our Fairfax community. Throughout this pandemic, we have collaborated closely with our local health experts. Their guidance, together with our layered prevention strategies, including universal masking, has worked to keep all 199 schools and centers open and our transmission rate low, even during the Omicron surge. This is something of which we are proud.

We continue to have constitutional concerns, regarding the legality of the process and law (Virginia Code Section 22.1-2.1). This law leaves local school divisions no flexibility to address future public health emergencies. However, we respect our obligation to comply with this law - and therefore will allow parents/guardians to elect for their children not to wear masks on school property starting March 1.

We encourage our community to continue to follow the guidance of health officials - particularly for the benefit of our immunocompromised students and staff. We must continue to work together to keep our schools safe and open for all.

 

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