Downey Unified drops mask requirements

DOWNEY — Downey Unified School District has announced that it will align itself with current Los Angeles County guidelines, strongly recommending indoor mask wearing, but not requiring it in school settings.

The transition officially occurs on Saturday, March 12.

Students and staff will now have the option to wear masks or not while on campus or at the district office.

“I want to be sure that we are understanding that, again, masks continue to be recommended, but they are not mandatory,” said Superintendent Dr. John Garcia in a video released on Wednesday. “I want to remind all of us that regardless of whatever personal choice that a student or a family makes to continue to be respectful to one another at all times.”

The district will continue with its daily screening procedure.

“At this point we don’t have a specific expiration date, but we wanted to at least do that at minimum through Spring Break, and then we’ll continue on with that,” said Dr. Garcia. “We feel like the daily screener is an important part of what it is we’re doing in regard to symptoms and what’s happening.”

Garcia also announced the district’s intention to continue with the online learning option, and that in the coming weeks families currently enrolled as such should anticipate a survey asking whether they intend to continue online next year.

Families whose students are currently on campus who are considering transferring online are encouraged to call the district office.