Many Fairfax County parents including Marian Perez are pleased with the decision to require masks. Fairfax County Public Schools announced its plans to safely scale back layered prevention measures, Thursday, as Virginias House of Delegates readies to Tenant occupied. Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. News4s Justin Finch reports. State health and education officials recommended masks in elementary schools regardless of vaccination status, and in middle and high schools among students and staff who are not fully vaccinated, at a minimum. Charles County: Masks will be mandatory on school buses but optional in school buildings. They cited startling new information on the ability of the delta variant to spread among vaccinated people. According to the school system, FCPS will implement our roll back strategy when the Fairfax Community reaches moderate transmission and remains there for seven consecutive days,. The Health Department continues to work closely with our partners in the schools to prevent the spread of the illness and disinformation about COVID-19. Our layered prevention strategies have proven effective in keeping transmission rates low in our schools.". In a posting on its website, FCPS said while COVID-19 cases continue to decline, the county is still in high transmission, and masking requirements currently remain. Download a freeAdobe Readerplug-in to view the policies, regulations, and notices. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. We all seek a moment when we can go to creating mask-optional conditions. As of Friday, before the CDC updated its guidelines,the county was listed as experiencing substantial community transmission, according to CDC data. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. D.C., Maryland and Virginia are each releasing more data every day. It is our hope that FCPS continues to follow CDC guidelines to protect ALL people in our educational environment. Neal's been pleased to receive awards over the years for hard news, feature reporting, use of sound and sports. Remove all graphics and images from the website so that only the text and links are visible. The move follows the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The law gives school systems until March 1 to comply, and Brabrand said the system would continue to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until then. This announcement comes after Virginia Gov. The school board said they endorsed the interim superintendents decision in order to protect students and staff. "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.". Health department authority may be applied in significant outbreak situations. After a large group of students at Woodgrove High School, part of Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), decided to defy the schools mask mandate Monday, LCPS has responded. Your commute. There are still many anxious staff and parents of immunocompromised students. MPD: 26-year-old man arrested for engaging in unwanted sexual contact with a woman in NW DC, Man under arrest for engaging in unwanted sexual contact with a woman in Northwest DC, police say, 7 injured on flight to Germany that had emergency landing at Dulles, Snowy and cold or dry and warm? FAIRFAX, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will make mask-wearing optional on school property starting Tuesday. The Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system hasnt gotten the memo. WUSA9 is now on Roku and Amazon Fire TVs. Here's where mask mandates are in effect in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. If the student continues to refuse, school services personnel, including counselors, will be called in to stress to the student the school policy of universal masking. 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 WTOP.com | Alexa | Google Home | WTOP App | 103.5 FM, Latest coronavirus test results in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Latest vaccination numbers in DC, Maryland and Virginia, Mother of unarmed man shot, killed by police near Tysons mall demands video, records, 1 killed in Fairfax Co. crash, police say. Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. Download the WUSA9 app to get breaking news, weather and important stories at your fingertips. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. The following public health prevention measurescan helplimit the spread of the virus in our community. During his time in College Park, he worked for The Diamondback, the schools student newspaper. While the county says its rollback plan will be triggered by a drop in cases, the plan may become moot if lawmakers in Richmond continue to advance mask-optional legislation that would prohibit local school boards from imposing mask mandates. All Rights Reserved. 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 county has a seven-day average positivity rate of 9.82%, according to CDC data collected through Sunday. If that effort fails to persuade the student to mask up, parents will be contacted to direct the student to comply. Layered prevention strategiescan serve to limit exposure and transmission of the virus. Policies under review by the School Board are listed inBoardDocs under the library tab. The Fairfax County Health Department is responsible for contact tracing. 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. View important information about our policy and find out who to contact if you have questions or concerns. @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/2BjSPYbs4g. 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., NEW - Fairfax County Public Schools will require face masks this fall for everyone inside schools, regardless of vaccination status, when students are present. Rick Massimo | rmassimo@wtop.com. Glenn Youngkin to stop his executive order making masks in schools optional, questioning the orders constitutionality. Here's what we are predicting for winter this year, Virginia Senate passes bill to make masks optional in schools, CDC to significantly ease pandemic mask guidelines Friday, During off-campus activities where masks are required by the venue (ex: field trip), Students enrolled in Head Start Program (federal requirement), When attending school on days 6-10 of a quarantine (families who do not want their student to wear a mask on these days will need to complete the full 10-day quarantine at home. 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. The school pointed to its dress code policy as a reference for how it will handle any situation where a student won't wear a mask. Please wear a mask. Masks will also be enforced on school buses in accordance with the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public transportation federal COVID-19 guidance. FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. Fairfax County Public Schools will require masks to be worn at all times by students and staff indoors and on school buses to RELATED: Virginia Senate passes bill to make masks optional in schools. Driver killed after crashing stolen Maserati on Beltway in Fairfax Co. Grand jury indicts DC employee charged with killing 13-year-old boy. Fairfax County Public Schools will continue requiring face masks after notching a victory in its lawsuit against Gov. All rights reserved. Here's what we are predicting for winter this year, Find out what your school district is doing about masks this upcoming semester, Masks required in Montgomery County schools for 2021-2022 school year, DCPS will require masks for all teachers and students in the fall, VERIFY: Here's why the CDC recommends masks for vaccinated people, CDC reverses course on indoor masks in parts of US where COVID is surging. Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. The school system said contact tracing, isolation and quarantine policies will continue for the time being. Make an appointment at www.vaccines.gov or find a location near you. As we work through this change, we will honor our value of a caring culture.. Maintaining the layered prevention strategies is our only way out of this pandemic that has now taken more than 1,400 lives just in Fairfax County.. The science tells us that the way to keep school buildings open is through layered mitigation vaccines and boosters, well-fitting masks, testing and proper ventilation, president Tina Williams said in a press release. January 26, 2022. Fairfax, VA 22035. Looking for more information? FCPS reiterated its belief that universal masking remains necessary in a statement to FFXnow, noting that Fairfax County is still seeing a high level of Covid The Fairfax County Web site is being translated through "machine translation" powered by Google Translate. Copyright 2022 by WTOP. As a school division, we continue to be concerned about the health of our Fairfax community and strongly recommend that all students continue to participate in universal masking for the protection of students and staff with health concerns, Brabrand wrote. Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. Loudoun County, for example, announced hours after Youngkin signed the bill that they would lift their mask mandate Feb. 22. The CDC expressed concern about the evolving coronavirus and the Delta variant. As we work through this change, we will honor our value of a caring culture.See more details about these upcoming changes. 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. Stay Up to Date with Your COVID-19 Vaccines. Avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. Copyright 2022 by WTOP. Looking for more information? It is open Monday Friday,9 a.m. 5p.m. You can also find additional helpful information in the following resources: 12000 Government Center Pkwy , according to CDC data collected through Sunday. Despite Virginia Gov. 2 and SB 739, the masking and in-person learning legislation. View details, map and photos of this single family property with 5 bedrooms and 4 total baths. Example video title will go here for this video. These Valuable Pennies Are Worth Thousands. Other school districts in D.C., Maryland and Virginia have followed suit when it comes to universal masking in school. 12000 Government Center Pkwy We encourage our community to continue to follow the guidance of health officials, particularly for the benefit of our immunocompromised students and staff, the statement said. Superintendent Scott Brabrand briefed school district principals Friday on the updated mask policy, which says, Any student who refuses to wear a face covering while indoors on school property or during FCPS-provided transportation, and who is not otherwise exempt will be precluded access to face-to-face instructional programming until Fairfax County was also one of seven Virginia school systems that sued Gov. News4's Julie Carey reports. No more than 2 incomes to qualify. What's the Difference Between a Crisis and a Concern? Getting children and teens vaccinated against COVID-19 can help keep them from getting really sick if they do get COVID-19, and keeps them in school and activities. "I feel like it's totally fine and I'm happy to send them back to school with masks," parent Megan Jaster said. Glenn Youngkin has said hell sign it, perhaps with an emergency clause requiring it be implemented immediately. Fairfax County Public Schools announced its plans to safely scale back layered prevention measures, Thursday, as Virginias House of Delegates readies to vote on a bill that gives families the ability to opt-out of COVID-19 mask mandates issued by school systems. 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. Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives. "We'll have some outdoor classrooms and outdoor areas in many schools for eating," Brabrand said. "If there is a need to do something with an individual student - we're not looking at classroom or school-wide closures," Brabrand said. 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! This is going farther than what it needs to be, as far this mandate for masks. Prince Georges County: Masks will be required for students, teachers and staff inside Prince Georges County Public Schools this fall, officials said Monday. Fairfax County Public Schools is returning to in-person learning five days a week this fall. Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here. Visit their official sites here: Virginia | Maryland | D.C. Rick Massimo came to WTOP, and to Washington, in 2013 after having lived in Providence, R.I., since he was a child. The School Board Office maintains the historical records of policies, regulations, and notices. Disclaimer. Though Petersen said his proposal arose on its own, it closely mirrors Gov. Learn more about the process for obtaining information under the VFOIA. Schools CEO Monica Goldson said the vaccination rate among eligible students is still too low, at 50%. 2023 WTOP. Wearing masks will be optional for students beginning March 1. This is going farther than what it needs to be, as this! And links are visible browser settings will honor our value of a caring culture.See more details about upcoming... 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