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Atlanta – As the students returned to the classroom, there was confusion and frustration over the masking policies. In some school districts, such as those in the Atlanta area, there is a patchwork of mask requirements like COVID-19 vaccination the rates are staggered.
Masking policies vary by school district, even day to day. Douglas County changed its policy two days before school started, from recommended masks to required masks.
“Leading is not easy, and I know the decision to wear masks is not popular,” said Douglas County Superintendent Trent North. “As soon as it is safe, we will start not wearing masks again.”
Schools in the Atlanta area have several policies. Many need them – but sometimes masks are recommended or optional.
Three weeks after the start of the school year, more than 23,000 students and staff in the metro Atlanta area have had to self-quarantine after being exposed to COVID, according to one estimate. This comes against the backdrop of a 17% COVID positivity rate in Georgia and masks hostility from residents.
Atlanta public schools have made masks mandatory amid its low vaccination rates. Almost one in five eligible students is fully immunized, and three in five teachers and staff are also fully immunized or planning to be.
Kathy King, a mother of two fifth graders, said she was happy with the mask mandates. “At this age, no one can be vaccinated,” she said.
Angel Touwsma’s 5-year-old has just started kindergarten. “It is pulling on the sensitive cords. I’m afraid he will get really sick,” she said.
A CBS News Poll found that 58% of parents support the requirement for masks in schools, compared with 36% who think they should be optional and 6% who say they should not be allowed. A majority feared their children would contract COVID at school, but more than half said schools should not require the vaccine for eligible children.
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