PPS, SKPS to make masks optional for students, staff

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Masks will be optional for students and staff beginning March 14 for Portland Public Schools and March 12 for Salem-Keizer Public Schools.

Both districts made the announcement via press release on Friday.

The policy shift affects every PPS and SKPS building and comes after Gov. Kate Brown announced Monday that mask requirements for indoor public spaces would be lifted on March 12.

Brown cited decreasing hospitalization and case numbers as evidence for the change in mask rules, which still recommends face coverings be worn in indoor public settings. While the state chose to lift the mandate, it initially left the decision to keep or repeal any requirement up to local school districts.

Even with the rule change, SKPS Superintendent Christy Perry stated that the district is recommending at-risk adults and students to continue to wear masks.

"While face coverings will be optional, it is highly recommended that at-risk adults and students continue to wear KN95 masks. We know some students and adults will choose to wear face coverings and others will not. It is critical we support these decisions as we work together to build a community that supports each other in the decisions that protect their health or the health of those close to them," Perry said

PPS was the first major school district in the Portland metro area to announce masks would become optional.

The district said it based its decision to repeal the requirement on multiple criteria, including guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and its new tool that classifies every U.S. county by COVID-19 risk level. Multnomah County currently sits in the CDC's "low" risk category, requiring lower amounts of precautions to be taken against the virus than other counties designated as higher-risk.

PPS said the decision also follows updated guidelines released Wednesday by the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority.

Following a similar announcement at the state level, PPS also announced it would pause contact tracing and quarantining in schools but it would keep testing available for people who become symptomatic.