Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you. However, parents can submit opt-out forms if they prefer for their child to not wear a mask. Masks will be worn at all times by both staff and students indoors and on school buses, but are not required when eating or when outside during recess, PE, or other activities, FCPS said to families. Starting March 14, a test-to-stay program will also be available at every county school in the case of an outbreak. FAIRFAX, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will make mask-wearing optional on school property starting Tuesday. Wearing masks will be optional for students beginning March 1. Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. The school system said contact tracing, isolation and quarantine policies will continue for the time being. COVID-19 call center hours are MondayFriday, 9am5pm. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order stating that parents can choose whether their child wears a face covering to school as of Monday, Jan. 24. Good habits start early. Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. To read the full statement from Fairfax Schools. But now is not the time, at the greatest surge we ever had in the pandemic. Sign up for the Get Up DC newsletter:Your forecast. Fairfax County Public Schools is returning to in-person learning five days a week this fall. Glenn Youngkin, places less emphasize on positive cases and more focus on hospital strain, test-to-stay program will also be available at every county school, Mother of unarmed man shot, killed by police near Tysons mall demands video, records, 1 killed in Fairfax Co. crash, police say. Our steps forward will be measured and guided by expert recommendations and local health data," said Scott S. Brabrand, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended masks indoors for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to schools, CDC Recommends Masks Indoors in Parts of Virginia, Citing High COVID Rates, CDC Revises Mask Recommendations Over Delta Concerns, opted to give individual districts flexibility to set rules, Virginia Recommends Masks in Schools This Fall, Gives Districts Flexibility, Local School Districts to Decide Whether Or Not to Require Masks, Watch News4: Live and Replays on NBC4 App, Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV Plus & Xumo Play, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), 7 Passengers Taken to Hospitals After Turbulence Diverts Lufthansa Flight to Dulles Airport, Check Your Change! In a Monday evening Zoom session for the community, officials said that any student without a religious or medical exemption not wearing a mask in school will first be reminded of the requirement. VisitRecent Changesfor policies that have been updated in the last 45 days. Fairfax County Public School students will return to class Tuesday after a long weekend, and masks will still be required despite an order from the Virginia governor. Fairfax County Public School students will return to class Tuesday after a long weekend, and masks will still be required despite an order from the Virginia governor. Fairfax County Public Schools will require masks for everyone inside schools whenever students are present, regardless of vaccination status, information posted on the school districts website said Wednesday. Download the apps today for live newscasts and video on demand. FCPS does not plan to regularly test students or staff for COVID-19 so officials are asking anyone who enters our schools is asked to self-assess and stay home if they are feeling ill or experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Despite Virginia Gov. At a public hearing Thursday night, Kimberly Adams, president of the Fairfax Education Association, said, We appreciate requiring masks for all employees will continue until we meet the moderate transmission numbers in our county., In a statement Friday, Adams said, Protecting our most vulnerable staff and students remains our priority. This announcement comes after Virginia Gov. , according to CDC data collected through Sunday. However, Fairfax County Public Schools says it still requires students and staff to wear face coverings: "FCPS continues to require universal mask wearing in alignment with CDC guidance. These changes are evidence that we are entering a new phase of the pandemic, Brabrand wrote. In a letter to parents, Fairfax County Public Schools said they will start the school year with universal masking. Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story. Efforts to vaccinate students are ongoing. Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. The school system, Brabrand said, will orchestrate contact tracing in limited circumstances when identified by local health officials and wont tell students to quarantine unless theyre identified as a close contact during a school-based outbreak. Programs are encouraged to adopt these public health recommendations, but policies and practices are up to the discretion of the program administrators in most scenarios. The school board said they endorsed the interim superintendents decision in order to protect students and staff. 5425 Wisconsin Ave ). Arlington County will leave their mask mandate in place until March 1. "Universal masking is a critical factor in ensuring all students can return to our buildings, especially when social distancing is not possible and not all our students are eligible yet for vaccinations.". School districts in Northern Virginia are taking different approaches to mask guidelines. Download the apps today for live newscasts and video on demand. Fairfax County Public Schools has signed on to a lawsuit filed on Jan. 24 challenging Youngkins executive order. FAIRFAX, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will make mask-wearing optional on school property starting Tuesday. FCPS says student screening testing will be available during moderate, substantial and high community transmission to the greatest extent possible, in alignment with CDC guidance. The Fairfax County Health Department has developedguidancefor managing COVID-19 cases and outbreaks inyouth athletic and club programs, including both in-school and after-school recreational programs as well as for childcare programs, including in-home daycares and before/after school programs. "If there is a need to do something with an individual student - we're not looking at classroom or school-wide closures," Brabrand said. Reverts to original layout including graphics and images, Gloria Addo-Ayensu, M.D., M.P.H.,Director of Health. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Your commute. All rights reserved, stating that parents can choose whether their child wears a face covering to school, Virginia School Boards Sue as Youngkin Order Lifting Mask Mandate Takes Effect, I Will Bring Every Single Gun Loaded': Virginia Mom Charged in Threat to School Over Mask Policy, Watch News4: Live and Replays on NBC4 App, Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV Plus & Xumo Play, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), 7 Passengers Taken to Hospitals After Turbulence Diverts Lufthansa Flight to Dulles Airport, Check Your Change! WebRestraint and Seclusion Policy The Fairfax County School Board has approved a new policy on Restraint and Seclusion, effective 12/17/2020. Fairfax County was also one of seven Virginia school systems that sued Gov. All Rights Reserved. The guidance is reflective of current public health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and Fairfax County Health Department. Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand wrote that there wouldnt be a formal opt-out process for students who choose not to wear masks. The superintendent of the Fairfax County, Virginia, public schools said the school mask mandate will be lifted March 1 in accordance with a new law, but remains Glenn Youngkins executive order prohibiting school mask mandates. All rights reserved. Fairfax County Public Schools issued a reminder that its policy on wearing masks has not changed. Or a positivity rate between 5% and 8%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The superintendent of the Fairfax County, Virginia, public schools said the school mask mandate will be lifted March 1 in accordance with a new law, but remains in place for now. In the end, we will respect the legal process, and we are confident that we have a strong legal case, Brabrand said. This morning 30 Woodgrove students (out of a student body of 1,585) refused to wear a mask. As we work through this change, we will honor our value of a caring culture.. Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. You can read the full item I introducedhere. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. Must have good credit. Montgomery County: Face masks will be required for students and staff inside Montgomery County Public Schools this fall regardless of vaccination status, officials said Tuesday. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C. WTOPs Jessica Kronzer contributed to this report. Students who are not compliant with the foregoing may be subject to counseling, loss of privileges, removal from class or activities, or disciplinary action, the dress code policy reads. School Library Collections "We do not expect to be in a position where we need to close classrooms or schools this year.". We recognize our responsibilities to make reasonable accommodations for students to meet their personal religious obligations, ensure that it neither promotes nor discourages religion in the schools, and permit student-initiated religious expression to the same extent that it permits other student speech. Web$4,300 USD: Appointment must be confirmed! Here's where mask mandates are in effect in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Rick Massimo | rmassimo@wtop.com. If you are a parent of a student/child at a private school, childcare setting, or camp, reach out to your school nurse oradministrator with questions aboutrequirements for isolation and quarantine. Face coverings are still required when participating in the countys test-to-stay program and when returning to school on day six of a 10-day quarantine. Test-to-stay enables unvaccinated close contacts to remain in school if they test negative for the first five days after exposure. 2023 WTOP. Glenn Youngkin to stop his executive order making masks in schools optional, questioning the orders constitutionality. Dear FCPS Families and Staff, On Wednesday, the Virginia General Assembly passed Senate Bill 739, which allows parents to opt their children out of mask As of Friday, before the CDC updated its guidelines,the county was listed as experiencing substantial community transmission, according to CDC data. Looking for more information? If the student still refuses, school official said the student will be excluded from in-person learning. The Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system hasnt gotten the memo. Tenant occupied. The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers said the guidance is clear that masking should remain in place. Looking for more information? Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand wrote that there wouldnt be a formal opt-out process for students who choose not to wear masks. Loudoun County, for example, announced hours after Youngkin signed the bill that they would lift their mask mandate Feb. 22. We want all families to be confident that their children are learning in a safe, supportive environment. Glenn Youngkin on Monday, objecting to his executive order overruling their mask policies and making the wearing of 1 dead, 1 injured after shooting in Northwest D.C. 7 passengers taken to hospitals after turbulence diverts flight to Dulles. Neal Augenstein | naugenstein@wtop.com. Example video title will go here for this video. To change the language of this website, click the drop-down list and select the desired language. Because our plan is based on scientific data, we believe this plan gives us a roadmap to move forward safely. the school system said. Neighboring Fairfax County Public Schools was one of seven districts suing Gov. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. The Fairfax County School Board has approved a new policy on Restraint and Seclusion, effective 12/17/2020. They cited startling new information on the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people. We encourage FCPS employees to maintain their 6 foot distance from others whenever possible, but we know that in our school and transportation settings this is not feasible at all times. Fairfax County Superintendent Scott Brabrand has called for universal masking to remain in place on campuses as COVID-19 continues to spread rapidly. Fairfax County Public Schools will require masks for everyone inside schools whenever students are present, regardless of vaccination status, information RELATED: Find out what your school district is doing about masks this upcoming semester, RELATED: Masks required in Montgomery County schools for 2021-2022 school year, RELATED: DCPS will require masks for all teachers and students in the fall. 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