CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Students and staff at Chicago Public Schools will be able to choose to wear a mask or not beginning next week.
CPS announced Monday that it will move to a mask-optional model beginning March 14 as a way to give students and employees a choice regarding wearing face coverings. The lifted mask mandate will apply in school buildings, outside on school property and on school buses.
“CPS was one of the first to require universal masking in schools, and we would not be moving to a mask- optional model unless the data and our public health experts indicated that it is safe for our school communities,” CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said in a statement. “We will support our staff and students as we enter this new phase in the pandemic and continue to move forward together.”
The Chicago Teachers Union said the change at CPS violates its safety agreement with teachers.
The school district credits the declining COVID-19 cases in schools and throughout Chicago along with the increased vaccination rates among its students and staff as reasons behind the decision.
The decision to end the mask mandate comes two years after the coronavirus pandemic forced CPS and schools across the state to shut down and move to remote learning.
It also followed the city of Chicago and state of Illinois removing mask requirements for certain public spaces on Feb. 28. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently relaxed mask guidance for communities where hospitals aren't under high strain.
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