Nearly 50 WA superintendents call on state to lift mask mandate for schools

Nearly 50 superintendents from Eastern Washington school districts signed a letter Tuesday calling on state leaders to lift the mask mandate for schools — although some districts are getting rid of the requirement anyway.

In southeast Washington, all Richland School District schools and facilities closed Wednesday after board members voted 3-2 on Tuesday to make face coverings optional. The board reconvened Wednesday to “plan a path forward,” according to the district. Up north, the Kettle Falls School District voted to drop the mask mandate this week, prompting the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue a notice to the district to comply or risk losing state funding, according to The Spokesman-Review.

Tuesday’s letter — addressed to Inslee, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal and state Health Secretary Dr. Umair A. Shah — also requests that contact tracing responsibilities be moved away from local districts to the state Department of Health.