Central Coast school districts respond to new K-12 masking guidance

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. -- California on Monday announced that K-12 schools can drop masking requirements on March 12 if they choose, and local school districts are preparing for the new changes.

Lucia Mar Unified School District in San Luis Obispo on Tuesday said that it will follow the state and San Luis Obispo County Public Health guidelines for indoor face coverings, and that the first day of in-person instruction with voluntary masking will be Monday, March 14.

Masking will still be mandated until the end of the day on March 11, said Superintendent Paul Fawcett.

Fawcett said that if there are any official announcements that allow for an earlier legal adoption of the voluntary masking guidance in the classroom, then the district is "prepared to implement those immediately."

The district said that it will still respect individuals' personal choice if they choose to continue wearing masks, and it asks families to let teachers know their wishes so that teachers can do their best to reinforce them.

The Goleta Union School District Board of Trustees will meet Wednesday night to discuss the lifting of the mask mandate, and will send a ParentSquare message to all the students and staff on Thursday morning with the outcome, according to Superintendent Diana Roybal.

Santa Barbara Unified School District said that it will continue to follow the guidance from the California Department of Public Health and will be lifting its mask mandate on March 14.

"As we’ve stated all along, we trust the science and our statewide health experts to put the well-being of our children and staff at the forefront of every decision. We will begin to work with our schools to prepare ourselves for the change," said district spokesman Nick Masuda.

"As always, if a student or staff member feels safer with a mask on, we will continue to support their choice to do so." 

Santa Maria Joint Union High School District said that it will need to wait for the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to make a determination on the new masking guidance before the district can.

Ventura County Superintendent of Schools Dr. César Morales said that because the state made masks optional in most public places earlier this month, he believes that it is appropriate that the same rules apply at schools.