YORK COUNTY, Va. — Author's note: The video above is from a separate story that aired on Jan. 17, just after Gov. Glenn Youngkin got rid of the requirement to wear masks in Virginia schools.
For now, York County School Division (YCSD) students and teachers will have to keep wearing their face masks for in-person learning.
Administrators weighed Gov. Glenn Youngkin's rollback of mask requirements for schools, and on Friday, decided they would keep the requirement in place, locally.
A Facebook post explaining the decision says Virginia law requires schools to keep in line with COVID-19 mitigation strategies put forward by the CDC. That organization still recommends that students (over 2 years old) and teachers wear face masks. You can read the full list of the CDC;s recommendations for schools here.
A separate, federal law says students have to wear masks while on school buses.
"As we seek additional guidance regarding the conflicts between Executive Order 2 and SB1303, the York County School Division will continue to implement the layered mitigation strategies that have been in place in our schools throughout this school year – including requiring all students, staff and visitors to wear masks inside school buildings and on school buses – until further notice," the announcement reads.
York County is the latest Hampton Roads area to weigh in on school masks. Earlier this week, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake school boards voted to make masks optional. Portsmouth, Norfolk and Williamsburg-James City County voted to keep masks mandatory.
YCSD provided a link where parents can ask questions about the decision.