Update: WCSD superintendent, board president defend decision to drop masks for those under 10

WCSD Teachers' union calls WCSD's last minute mask decision 'confusing and frustrating'

Siobhan McAndrew
Reno Gazette Journal

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Washoe County School District Superintendent Kristen McNeill defended the right to drop the mask mandate for thousands of children under 10 in a call with reporters Monday afternoon.

"To be very clear, it is up to districts and charter schools to make that decision," McNeill said. "The board gave the superintendent the power to make these decisions because (things) are changing so rapidly."

Washoe County School District Superintendent Kristen McNeill talks to reporters on May 17, 2021.

She made the decision Sunday after what she called a back-and-forth conversation with officials from the Nevada Department of Education after she wanted the power to drop mask mandates for children by grade instead of by age. 

The state said the easing of mask requirements for younger children was not a mandate.  The State Superintendent of Public Instruction Johne Ebert sent a note to the state's superintendents on Sunday and said the CDC is still recommending masks for all school children and staff for the remainder of the school year.  

"Vaccinations have started to come out and we have a high rate of employees that have it," McNeill said of being comfortable with the decision. 

School Board President Angie Taylor agreed with McNeill's right to make the decision.

"She has certainly stayed within the guidelines," Taylor said of the power McNeill has to make the decision on her own. "As a board we thought it best to give that flexibility to the superintendent." 

It is possible that it could become a board discussion at their next meeting on May 25.

Taylor said there was an expectation of the district to get the most current state recommendations out and to apply them to schools.  

The letter from Ebert also encouraged districts to work with health officials if they were going to change a mask policy with just weeks before the end of the school year. 

The Washoe County Health District confirmed it was not consulted.

Washoe County Health Officer Kevin Dick said he did not support the decision.

“The Washoe County Health District supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that children in K-12 schools continue to wear masks for the remainder of the school year," he said. 

Update: 

Original post: A Washoe County School District decision late Sunday to end a mask mandate for children 9 and under came as a surprise to many, including thousands of district teachers and area pediatricians.

In a call and email to parents Sunday night after 8 p.m., the district said it would no longer require masks for the district's youngest students who would typically fall in grades fourth and below. 

In its statement Sunday night, the district said the decision that students 9 and younger did not have to wear masks inside or outside came from the Nevada Department of Education.

But before the district made its decision to end the mask mandate for children 9 and under, the Nevada Department of Education sent emails to every school superintendent recommending children still wear masks per CDC guidelines.

The Reno Gazette Journal reviewed copies of those emails from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert, which were sent at 5:30 p.m.

The first line of Ebert’s letter says, "The CDC recommends schools continue to use the COVID-19 prevention strategies outlined in the current version of CDC’s Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. This includes face coverings for all students and staff and continued social distancing."

In her letter to superintendents, Ebert said the reasoningfor children to still wear masks, including those under 9, is because children won't have widespread access to the COVID-19 vaccine before the end of the school year.

Access to the vaccine was just approved for Washoe County kids 12 and older last week. 

Students line up while waiting for the official start of the WCSD 2020 school year at Greenbrae Elementary school in Sparks.

The CDC also recommends schools keep all students and staff masked for the remainder of the school year.

Ebert did though ultimately leave it in the hands of district officials while stressing the need to work with health officials before changing policies.

"Districts and charter schools have the authority to relax the use of face coverings for students 9 years of age and younger, but may maintain stricter standards," she wrote.  

Her note said school districts should work with local health officials if they plan to update policies in the short time remaining in the school year.

Washoe County Health District Officer Kevin Dick was not available for immediate comment Monday morning. 

The Clark County School District in Las Vegas has decided to keep all children in masks for the remainder of the year. 

Washoe County School District Superintendent Kristen McNeill was also not available for immediate comment, according to district spokesperson Victoria Campbell. She is expected to do a call with reporters later today. 

Washoe County School Board President Angie Taylor has not returned a request for comment, but it is unlikely the decision came from the school board, which meets again on Tuesday for a policy discussion.

A standing agenda item on the district's COVID response would likely give the board an opportunity to talk about it at its next meeting on May 25. 

Anger from community

A group of local pediatricians is also crafting a letter today in response to the decision according to Dr. Tammy Roesler of Pinecone Pediatrics.

She said doctors are upset that the district is deciding to do this when the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics are recommending masks for those 2 and older, unless vaccinated.  

“Local pediatricians are drafting a letter to protest this decision,” she told the RGJ.  

Teachers' union president Phil Kaiser said he expected the board to have the conversation about masks on Tuesday.

He said the move to drop masks now, with three weeks in the school year, adds more stress to an already taxed workforce.

"There is confusion and it is frustrating," he said. "We are close to the end of the school year."

He said teachers received no direction on how to handle the situation.

Fourth grade teachers, who typically have 9 and 10 year olds in the same class, were not told what they should do, he said. 

Some schools seemed to also push mask wearing for all students, despite the message from district leadership on Sunday.

On Sunday night, Natchez Elementary School said it was still encouraging all students to wear masks. 

Kaiser said he worried that there are still a good percentage of teachers who are not vaccinated and now are at risk. 

He also said children may come from families that have not been vaccinated. 

"Let us get through the next few weeks and get across the finish line," Kaiser said. "Now, you just put people potentially at risk." 

Siobhan McAndrew tells stories about the people of Northern Nevada and covers education in Washoe County. Read her journalism right here. Consider supporting her work by subscribing to the Reno Gazette Journal