WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Beginning Wednesday, some Central Ohio students will be able to leave their masks at home. The change follows weeks of declining COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across Ohio.
The mask mandate at Hilliard City Schools will end Wednesday. For students in Westerville, it will end on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
"I think people choose convenience unless they think the consequences are dire," said Simeon Frazier, a Westerville Central parent.
"It's time to let our children breathe and let us see their faces," said Jessica Ciroli, a Westerville North parent.
In a letter to parents, the superintendent of the Westerville City School District said, "Given improved health data within our school district and the counties we serve, along with prior student exclusion guidance from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and Franklin County Public Health (FCPH), we are announcing important changes to our COVID mitigation procedures for all facilities and grades PreK–12."
Some Westerville parents believe the masks were working.
"Certainly, I think during a pandemic, as wildly inconvenient as it is, I think it seems to be working pretty well in the rest of the world, but I think we might have a little maturing to do here in the United States," Frazier said.
Others believe they caused more harm than good.
"Socially, it's hard to relate to people with the mask on, to hear the teacher, and communicate on a lot of levels. So being able to go back to normal and resume healthy relationships without fear is a really good thing, " said Jennifer Pedrozo, a Westerville South parent.
According to the Ohio Department of Education, masks are optional for 53% of Ohio school districts, required for some students in about 6% of the state's districts, and required for all students in 40% of districts statewide.