Masks now optional for all in Westlake schools

The Eanes school district said masks are still recommended in the younger grades, but has said they are now optional across all campuses.
The Eanes school district said masks are still recommended in the younger grades, but has said they are now optional across all campuses.

The Eanes school district announced last week that masks are now optional for students, staff and visitors across all campuses.

The district made masks optional for students 12 and older on Nov. 10, as well as staff who work with students in that age range, citing falling cases in the area at the time. Those recent changes came after the district said Sept. 16 that it would no longer enforce its mask mandate although at the time the mandate remained in place.

More: Masks are now optional for students 12 and up, some staff in Westlake schools

“We recognize the concern of a new variant but we also acknowledge there may never be a perfect time to fully remove the mask mandate,” the district said in a statement about the new mask optional policy. “The possibility of new variants may persist for the foreseeable future. Such is the unpredictability of a pandemic. One line of defense is to see more individuals exercise their option to be vaccinated.”

The district said that masks are still recommended in the younger grades until the vaccine is “readily available” for children under 12. The district also clarified that it reserves the right to bring back the mask mandate at any time based on local conditions or instructions from local health officials.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Masks now optional for all in Westlake schools