Mask mandate appears unlikely for BVSD schools in fall

Jul. 18—Editor's note: The headline and the story have been updated to better reflect the status of the Boulder Valley School District's mask policy.

It's likely masks will be optional for all students in the Boulder Valley School District in the fall, but the district is waiting for additional public health guidance before making a final decision, according to district officials.

Stephanie Faren, BVSD's health services director, said the high vaccination rates and low case numbers in Boulder and Broomfield counties make it likely the district won't require masks in the fall.

But school district leaders still want to hear from Boulder County Public Health and the state health department, she said. Parents can expect a letter sharing that decision this week.

The district, in accordance with public health recommendations, made masks optional for all students in its summer programs last week. The change followed Colorado's recent COVID-19 Public Health Order, which removed mask requirements in schools and child care facilities.

In new guidance released earlier this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said students who aren't vaccinated, including those too young to get shots, should continue to wear masks in schools. But the guidance isn't a mandate.

"We will be really working with Boulder and Broomfield (counties) to determine how best to implement public health orders," Faren said.

The district is hearing both from parents who want to see mask mandates continue, especially for students under 12 who aren't yet eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, and those who are advocating to make masks optional for all students. Some parents want masks to be required only for students who aren't vaccinated, while others want all students to be masked regardless of vaccination status.

While they want to acknowledge the concerns, district officials said, the district will continue to follow public health recommendations.

"We've worked so closely with our public health partners, keeping kids safe, keeping our population safe," said Boulder Valley spokesman Randy Barber. "That will continue to be our approach."

Faren added the district will continue to work with public health officials to monitor local conditions and change policies, if needed. The district also will "strongly encourage" those who aren't vaccinated to wear masks in school.

"If our families want their kids to wear masks at school, we will support our families," she said. "We want students and their families to feel safe and comfortable knowing their personal decisions are respected."

While masks are unlikely to be a requirement, the district plans to continue its ventilation and cleaning practices, as well as to encourage parents to keep sick children home. And the district is encouraging, but not requiring, parents to report their children's vaccination status to assist with quarantines, if necessary.

Faren said the district is still waiting on more guidance from the state around quarantine procedures for the fall. The current guidelines only exempt students and staff members who are fully vaccinated from quarantining if they are exposed at school.

She said the state is considering different metrics around quarantines for the fall, including potentially exempting everyone, vaccinated or not, from needing to quarantine if the community has at least a 70% vaccination rate — a requirement Boulder Valley meets.

Another often-shared concern from parents is that the district will require students to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Faren said the district will follow the state's school attendance vaccination requirements, which don't currently include COVID-19. The state also allows parents to opt out for medical, religious or personal reasons.