Brabrand defends mask mandate

Speaking at a virtual town hall Jan. 24, Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Scott Brabrand said he hopes FCPS will get to the point where masks are optional, but “now is not the time.”

FCPS is working with health officials to develop a “roadmap” laying out the health metrics for determining when masks are no longer required. Meanwhile, it’s important to “stay the course,” Brabrand said.

School systems across Virginia, including FCPS, are defying Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order giving parents the right to decide whether their children should wear masks in school.

On Jan. 24, FCPS and six other school systems filed a lawsuit challenging that executive order. “We are confident we have a strong legal case,” Brabrand said.

The Virginia Constitution gives school boards the authority to set policies, he said, and state law requires school districts to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for preventing the spread of Covid.
Until the court rules on that case, “our focus is on the health and safety of our students.”

FCPS mask requirements are in line with guidance from the CDC and the Fairfax County Health Department that call for students and staff in K-12 schools to wear a mask in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status.

Requiring masks has been effective in curbing the spread of Covid in schools, Brabrand said. Transmission rates in schools are “extremely low” – less half of a percent – despite high transmission rates in the community.

Related story: School boards sue governor over masks

Nevertheless, there has been a significant increase in Covid cases in schools. There were 1,160 cases reported in FCPS schools and offices during the period Jan. 17-20, compared to 422 during Dec. 13-16.

Students have done a good job complying with the mask mandate, said Michelle Boyd, assistant superintendent for special services. Out of a total enrollment of nearly 180,000 students, there have only been 40 mask infractions.

FCPS’s strategy for dealing with students who fail to comply with the rules is based on maintaining a caring culture rather than engaging in confrontation, Boyd said.

If a student refuses to wear a mask, this is what happens:
• Staff reminds the student about the mask requirement.
• If that doesn’t work, the student is referred to a counselor or other student services staff.
• The parents are contacted.
• Finally, the parents are notified that the student will be excluded from in-person instruction.

FCPS allows parents to request a medical or religious exemption from the mask mandate.

A member of the community noted that parents in other states opposed to mask mandates have harassed students walking to school and asked how FCPS will respond if that happens here.

“I’m really confident our community will understand the rationale behind our approach,” Brabrand said. If there is a serious incident, principals, the Office of Safety and Security, the police department, and school resource officers will be alerted.

Since cloth masks are less effective, another participant asked whether FCPS will require N95, KN95, or surgical masks.

The most important thing is ensuring a mask is worn correctly and consistently, said Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of epidemiology at the Fairfax County Health Department. If an N95 mask doesn’t fit a child, it won’t be effective.

There have been numerous studies showing school systems across the country that require masks have had fewer Covid cases than schools without mask mandates, Schwartz noted.

When a community member suggested parents should have a choice on masks, Brabrand said, “we need to balance an individual’s rights with the impact on the rights of other children to go to school and be safe during a pandemic.”