Johnson County may require COVID masks for elementary schools — public and private

Sarah Ritter
·4 min read

Johnson County health officials are proposing a health order that would require private and public elementary schools to mandate masks for all students and staff.

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners will vote on the proposal at its meeting Thursday morning, according to the board’s agenda. The proposed order comes as the delta variant causes COVID-19 cases to skyrocket. And despite health officials’ recommendations, several school districts have been slow or unwilling to mandate masks on their own.

If approved by the board, the order would require masks inside schools with students as old as sixth grade. Middle schools with sixth-graders would also have to require masks, unless sixth-graders are separated from higher grades throughout the school day.

The goal is to protect students younger than 12, who are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine. The mandate would also include all staff members and visitors in elementary schools. Masks would be mandated on school buses, but not outdoors. The order includes exemptions for certain medical and religious reasons.

If approved, the order would be in effect Aug. 9 through May 31, 2022, unless it is amended or revoked.

Throughout the pandemic, Johnson County health officials have stuck to only offering guidance to districts, leaving many difficult decisions up to school officials. This is the first health order with a school-only mandate proposed in Johnson County.

There has been speculation that commissioners would consider a countywide mask mandate on Thursday, following Kansas City, where an indoor mask mandate took effect Monday. But the board’s agenda does not show a proposal for a countywide mandate, and last Thursday, Chairman Ed Eilert said he was hesitant to approve one.

County spokeswoman Jody Hanson confirmed the elementary school mandate is the only proposal on Thursday’s agenda.

The county lifted its previous mask mandate at the end of April. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that even vaccinated people wear masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging, including in Missouri and Kansas.

Health officials have warned that COVID-19 cases are increasing among younger residents and children, driven by the highly contagious delta variant. This summer, the county reported several outbreaks associated with summer camp programs and child care facilities, leading some to shut down.

The Johnson County health department previously recommended that school districts require masks only for unvaccinated students and staff members. But since then, agencies have started advising that schools follow stricter protocols. The CDC urges schools to require masks for all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.

On Monday, the De Soto district became the first in Johnson County to mandate masks for everyone. The Shawnee Mission district last week decided to mandate masks in elementary schools, and only strongly recommend them for older students. Staff members can opt out of the mandate by showing proof of vaccination.

Across districts, several administrators have voiced frustration at being left to decide how to keep children safe in school buildings as the virus surges and the county has no mandate of its own. Some have called on health officials to step in.

“Public schools should not be making the decision to mask or not mask our students. School administrators and elected school board members should not be making this decision,” Shawnee Mission Superintendent Michelle Hubbard said at last week’s meeting. “We have all been placed in an extremely difficult situation, being left to be the only line of defense for this virus. If public health is truly at stake, then public health officials should be allowed to make this decision.”

Schools face ongoing protests, as parents fight to have the choice to send their child to school with or without a mask.

Other districts in the county have so far made masks optional, although they continue to evaluate the trend in cases and, even without a county order, could issue new rules before school begins this month. Many students will return to classrooms on Aug. 12.

County documents show that the vaccination rate among 12-to 17-year-olds is less than 40%.

Last week, more than 900 COVID-19 cases were reported, a significant jump from the 67 cases reported in the last week of May.

The Johnson County Board of Commissioners meets at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.

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