VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — COVID-19 mitigation strategies look different for some schools in Hampton Roads.
Starting this week, students in the Virginia Beach and Chesapeake school divisions don’t have to wear a mask in class.
The Virginia Beach School Board met January 25, following the start of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s mask optional order on January 24.
School leaders said class didn’t look too different in Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
“We were hard pressed to find a student without a mask,” Chief Schools Officer Doctor Eugene Soltner said.
Soltner said that so far they are seeing most students wearing masks, which they feel is comforting for some teachers and staff.
“They found that the anxiousness of many of our teachers abated very quickly when they saw the majority of students wearing masks,” Soltner said.
School Board Member Beverly Anderson told the board she is interested to hear if that is still the case in two weeks.
“It is unfortunate that the governor had to put an executive order out that is so confusing,” Anderson said.
On Friday of last week, the Associated Press reported that Governor Youngkin issued a statement that he’s confident he will win the court battle over the executive order but urged parents to quote, "listen to their principals and trust the legal process.”
Anderson said that the statement made her question voting for optional masking.
“That shows he knows that parents really need to be listening to the school boards and principals in their localities, because they are the ones that know how many absences they have in a day,” Anderson said. “So, making that statement alone changed my mind.”
Moving forward, the Virginia Beach Education Association encourages teachers to avoid arguments with students or parents. If they feel threatened in any way, VBEA leaders ask them to contact school administration or the VBEA.
“I am not sure exactly how this is all going to play out,” VBEA President Kathleen Slinde said. “But the advice for teachers is to do what you feel is safest for you to maintain your personal safety.”
Governor Youngkin’s team also asks people with mask concerns to email them at helpeducation@governor.virginia.gov