For the primary time because the pandemic started, the variety of mask-optional faculty districts exceeds these requiring masks, as mandates stay in place for lower than half of the nation's high 500 faculty districts.

As of February 27, solely 48 p.c (240) of these districts will proceed requiring masks, as the opposite 243 (48.6 p.c) of the highest 500 go mask-optional within the highest stage seen this educational 12 months, in response to a coverage tracker from Burbio. Seventeen districts have a partial masks requirement.

The most recent figures are a notable uptick from the start of the month, when many elements of the U.S. have been nonetheless grappling with the Omicron wave. Sixty-seven districts have switched to a mask-optional coverage since February 4.

Citing the regular decline in infections, cities and states throughout the nation have moved away from COVID-related restrictions and mandates over the previous few weeks because the pandemic approaches its third 12 months.

Masks mandates in class settings have been a very hot-button subject, particularly through the 2021-2022 faculty 12 months.

In October, practically 74 p.c of the nation's high 500 faculty districts have been nonetheless requiring masks and simply one-quarter have been permitting college students to make the selection of whether or not they would masks up in school rooms.

"We count on that the variety of mask-optional districts will speed up within the coming weeks and we are going to [be] protecting it up date in actual time so it modifications every day," Burbio's Dennis Roche, who has been monitoring faculty COVID insurance policies because the starting of the educational 12 months, mentioned in a weekly replace.

Mask School Districts U.S. COVID Mandate
Because the pandemic enters its third 12 months, 243 of the nation's high 500 districts have gone mask-optional. Above, a masked scholar receives an in-person lesson at Yung Wing College P.S. 124 on January 5, 2022, in New York Metropolis. Michael Loccisano/Getty

Roche famous that many districts rapidly moved to replace their masks mandates final week after the U.S. Facilities for Ailments Prevention and Management mentioned faculties ought to require masks solely when COVID hospitalizations and demise are excessive.

Since Friday, governors in New York, Illinois and Maryland have introduced that faculties would take away statewide masks mandates.

With New York planning to maneuver away from mandating masks, there are six states which have introduced they are going to transfer to native flexibility in coming weeks, with 31 states having native flexibility in impact.

Whereas New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams has signaled he may elevate masks mandates for the nation's largest faculty district as early as subsequent week per Governor Kathy Hochul's newest announcement, different districts are holding onto the requirement regardless of state legal guidelines.

Whereas Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzer has formally dropped the state's faculty masks mandate, Chicago Public Faculties (CPS), the fourth-largest district within the U.S., is firmly sticking with its "common masking in faculties."

"We don't wish to jeopardize this progress by transferring too rapidly, which is why CPS will proceed to require common masking in faculties for now," CPS CEO Pedro Martínez wrote in a Friday letter to folks.

As of February 27, solely two states—California and Hawaii—nonetheless have masks necessities in place for faculties.

Masks necessities have additionally been banned from three states: Florida, Utah and Virginia. A further eight states are seeing authorized challenges between various faculty stakeholders over masking rules.