PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — It’s been just over two weeks since school districts across the state dropped their mandatory mask policy as required by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order.
While some were eager to ditch the mask, many students in Hampton Roads are still choosing to wear one.
As masking varies from school to school, one statistic has remained constant: more than half of kids are choosing to mask up.
“I have no doubt that the majority of our families will still require masking in their households,” said Dr. Cardell Patillo, chairman of the Portsmouth School Board.
10 On Your Side spoke with Patillo last month when the school board voted to lift its mask policy. Now, as of mid-March, a district spokesperson tells us an estimated 90% of elementary and middle school students are still wearing a mask, along with 75% of high school students.
Out of Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ 63,000 students, around 86% were still in masks when the school board voted in February to make masks optional with an opt-out form. Some schools saw 98% of students masking up while others saw 75%. Per state law, opt-out forms are no longer required.
Norfolk Public Schools, Hampton City Schools, Chesapeake Public Schools and Suffolk Public Schools were unable to give an estimate on how many students were keeping the mask due to lack of data and fluctuating use, something Dr. Doug Mitchell says will keep changing over time.
“I don’t have a crystal ball better than anybody else. Who knows. Viruses mutate, viruses change,” Mitchell stated.
Mitchell serves as medical director for Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters Medical Group in Norfolk and encourages families to decide what they’re comfortable with in addition to following local, state and national health guidelines.
“Just because something isn’t mandatory doesn’t mean that you can’t keep doing it,” Mitchell stated.
Newport News did not respond to our information request.