1 of 2. Prince Georges County schools initially transitioned to a mask-optional policy in July. Masks will be required inside Prince George's County Public Schools again starting Monday, Aug . All staff, students and families are encouraged to support personal decisions on mask-wearing. Sasscer Administration Building The school system had kept the mandate in place and was not planning to lift it until the countys vaccination rate reached 80 percent, system leaders said previously. It was the last school system in the state to return to in-person instruction. When the school year ended in late June, students and staff were still required to wear a mask inside all school buildings. Prince George's County school system will end its mask mandate Sept. 6. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. 1 0 obj %PDF-1.7 1140 3rd St., 2nd Flr, NE PGCPS had transitioned to a mask-optional policy in July, the first time it had dropped mandatory masking since the onset of the pandemic. <>/ExtGState<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/Annots[ 23 0 R] /MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> Mask policy is subject to change according to local and state health department guidelines and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, according to the PGCPS website. <>/Metadata 79 0 R/ViewerPreferences 80 0 R>> . Like WTOP on Facebook and follow WTOP on Twitter and Instagram to engage in conversation about this article and others. Joinhere! The updated Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook addressing the policy change reads: The mask-optional policy enables individuals to choose whether to wear a mask in schools and offices. The mandate extends to all indoor public locations at all. The schools do not have enough teachers to start in 2 weeks nor enough bus drivers. Montgomery County Board of Education drops mask mandate for schools WTOP was the first to report on the policy change. The PGCPS website recently notified parents that masking is now required of Prince Georges County Public Schools (PGCPS) students and employees. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Whether youre a lifelong resident of D.C. or you just moved here, weve got you covered. May 12: Health Department Recommends Voluntary Mask-Wearing in Indoor Public Places March 16: County Updates COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Locations February 25: County to Lift Indoor Mask Mandate Lift (PDF) / Spanish (PDF) February 18: COVID-19 Vaccination Update February 8: COVID-19 Vaccination Update / Spanish (PDF) Prince George's County will lift its indoor mask mandate on Monday, Feb. 28, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced Friday. Goldson has previously said she exercises an abundance of caution when making decisions about coronavirus protocols. In a newsletter highlighting moments from the first day of school across the county, Marylands second-largest school system said it plans to implement a mask-optional policy beginning Sept. 6. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. Media maven. x]o ~TXE`vM{rrnzD"e7}gf2%"@HQ{_~o[W_QRX$7XO_D~y/|mb:r#82d }*c1]JcXu^`k|:^v>Ro}|s}uJspk{uM3' }? Get The 7 DMV newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. Before then, the school system briefly had a mask-optional policy in place in July. endobj There are no language selections available at this time. One D.C. school is using COVID relief funds to target students on the verge of failure. Maryland Gov. Prince George's County Public Schools the last system in the D.C. area that required students and staff to wear masks lifted that mandate in early July. Donna Christy, president of the Prince Georges County Educators Association, told WTOP that the union supports the move. Prince George's County Public Schools announced Friday that masks will once again be mandatory at all schools and facilities starting on Monday. Students in Prince George's County will be required to wear masks when they return to school in late August, school officials said Monday. County will reinstitute an indoor public mask mandate due to a continued rise in COVID-19 metrics. Prince George's County school system will end its mask mandate Sept. 6. The PGCPS website recently notified parents that masking is now required. American students test scores have even plummeted to levels unseen for decades. While PGCPS is working hard to overcome its staff shortage, Prince George's County Schools will lift the mandatory mask mandate, and become "mask optional" on September 6. Maryland hotline: 211 Prince George's County hotline: 301-883-6627 Student and Parent Instructional Resources Password Reset Prince Georges County Public Schools in Maryland will end its indoor mask mandate next week, CEO Monica Goldson said in a note to the school community. To date, more than 10.5 million children have lost one or both parents or caregivers during the coronavirus pandemic. In an email to the school community, administrators said they made the decisions on recommendation from county health officials. The email stated: Effective immediately, all PGCPS schools and facilities will be mask optional. Juanita Miller, chair of the countys school board, directed questions about the new policy to CEO Monica Goldson, who is in charge of day-to-day operations for the school system. Using This Site. Wearing a mask is optional for students in Montgomery County. "After consulting with our health officials, we are confident in our decision to lift the indoor mask mandate on February 28," said Alsobrooks. Monica Goldson, directora ejecutiva, anunci la reanudacin de la poltica de uso opcional de mascarillas en todas las instalaciones de PGCPS a partir del martes, 6 de septiembre. Marshals Service involved in fatal shooting in Southeast DC, Southeast triple shooting suspect identified by police. endobj Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers are now members! "Once again, this is the county officials pushing their agenda of fear. Prince George's County Public Schools "PGCPS will continue to make health and safety decisions in consultation with health experts." 31pCMS_DO` }kam~x1J`v3T`m(EAv>}uDIE -,0 School system CEO Monica Goldson announced the policy change in a newsletter to parents Monday evening, at the. There are no language selections available at this time. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Elected Officials. On July 7, PGCPS also announced the new policy within an email newsletter to parents. Wearing a mask is optional for students in Montgomery County. The Maryland school district said Friday that it had returned to a mandatory mask policy in all schools and facilities until further notice due to the easily spread BA.5 Omicron strain. 2023 FOX Television Stations, FBI: Explosive found in bag at Pennsylvania airport, man arrested, Elderly couple dead in possible murder-suicide in Fairfax County: police, Airbnb renting out Paris theater that inspired 'Phantom of the Opera', Pot smoking lounge set to open in Montgomery County is first of its kind, Surgeon runs down Philadelphia street to retrieve organ from transport vehicle stuck in traffic, Video shows Amazon delivery driver hitting, killing dog at Maryland home, Richard Montgomery High School student accused of robbing Shell gas station at knifepoint, U.S. The Maryland school district said Friday that it had returned to a mandatory mask policy in all schools and facilities until further notice due to the easily spread BA.5 Omicron strain, which has spread farther and faster than its predecessors and fueled a rise in community transmission rates across the country. All Rights Reserved. The school. Prince Georges has taken the most cautious approach to combating the virus among school systems across the D.C. region. The mandatory mask-wearing policy was put back in place due to the "highly contagious BA variant 5 COVID-19," the district said, and is a change from its mask-optional policy that took effect July 1. All Rights Reserved. All rights reserved. As a parent that has a child in PG county schools, I would like it to make it my choice and their choice whether they choose to wear a mask," Facebook user Ray Abrams posted. A mask should still be worn through the 10th day after testing positive, according to the guidelines. "It's sad that what this truly is a distraction. Chevy Chase, MD 20815. Students will return to school in Prince George's County on August 29. PGCPS had transitioned to a mask-optional policy in July, the first time it had dropped mandatory masking since the onset of the pandemic. Monica Goldson, chief executive of Maryland's. "The decision was recommended by the Prince George County Health Department. On Tuesday, the Prince Georges County website still stated masks are required on public transportation, in public schools, and in businesses that choose to require them., The state of Maryland says 81.5% of residents 5 and older in Prince Georges County are considered fully vaccinated.. Together they created a platform to offer images and stories of hope to advance their community. READ MORE: Prince George's County recommending mask-wearing in indoor public places as COVID-19 cases rise. All Rights Reserved. 5425 Wisconsin Ave 3 0 obj Earlier this month, the county announced plans to reinstate its indoor mask mandate,noting the high transmissibility of the omicron subvariant. Great stories teach, transport and transform! "Mask policy is subject to change according to local. Mask policy is subject to change according to local and/or state health department guidance and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, PGCPS said in the email. Say something. This year, when the omicron variant hit regional schools hard, Prince Georges chose to extend its winter break beyond any other school systems to slow the spread of the virus. PGCPS continuar tomando decisiones relacionadas con la salud y la seguridad en consulta con los expertos en el rea de la salud. DMV news: Most of Prince Georges students are scoring below grade level on district tests. WTOPs John Domen contributed to this report. It states the system was lifting its mask mandate an announcement that has not been clear to many parents. ACT and SAT testing have rebounded modestly since the massive disruptions early in the coronavirus pandemic, and many colleges are also easing mask rules. All staff, students and families are encouraged to support personal decisions on mask-wearing, the message to parents said. The county has the lowest transmission rate in Maryland at 44.98 . 14201 School Lane School officials say the decision comes in light of the highly contagious COVID-19 BA.5 variant spreading through the county. In the classroom: Amid a teacher shortage, states desperate to fill teaching jobs have relaxed job requirements as staffing crises rise in many schools. According to PGCPS, the guidance comes at the request of the Prince Georges County Health Department. The verge of failure this is the County has the lowest transmission rate in Maryland at.! Tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member subscribers now. It states the system was lifting its mask mandate Sept. 6 personal decisions on mask-wearing extends to all Public. Below grade level on district tests stories of hope to advance their community 7, PGCPS also the! 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pg county schools mask mandate