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Richland schools close immediately after surprise vote to defy Washington mask mandate

By Cameron Probert, Tri-City Herald
Published: February 16, 2022, 7:36am

RICHLAND — Richland schools are closed Wednesday after a decision by the school board to defy the state requirement that students wear masks inside buildings.

District officials said they need to plan a path forward as state officials are already working on warning letters that could threaten their funding.

“We ask for your patience as the district works to ensure our schools can continue to serve all students,” the district said in a message on its website late Tuesday.

The emergency move followed a surprise vote by board members Semi Bird, Audra Byrd and Kari Williams to go “mask optional” during a special Tuesday workshop.

The item was not on the meeting agenda, giving the public no chance to know it was going to be discussed. The meeting had been scheduled to talk about a resolution on the COVID vaccine process.

The legality of the move was raised immediately by former longtime board president Rick Jansons.

“I believe this is black and white illegal,” Jansons said according to a report on KEPR-TV.

Bird made the motion at the beginning of the meeting to go to “mask choice” effective immediately.

“I feel strongly about my vote,” he said according to KEPR TV. “Our children should come first. That’s why these buildings are here.”

Bird chose not to support the same motion during a previous meeting. He was not available Tuesday evening to comment on changing his vote.

Richland is the third and largest district in the state to declare masks will be optional. Kittitas School District reversed course after a decision earlier in the school year to go optional.

Then Kettle Falls in Stevens County voted on Monday to go mask optional.

Board President Jill Oldson, who opposed the motion, told the Herald after the meeting it’s still largely unclear how the district will implement the board’s decision.

While the district has declared that the masks are optional, the state law still requires the schools and administrators to enforce the requirement.

That puts administrators at odds with the state Department of Labor and Industries, if they require teachers to be in the same classrooms as students without masks.

Oldson said she understands the frustration of the community, but is afraid this will have unintended consequences.

While a large number of the people speaking at school board meetings have been opposed to the mask requirement, Oldson said she feels the community is still divided on whether to continue following the COVID guidelines.

“I’m most frustrated that I can see the finish line,” she said. “It just saddens me that we could see the finish line and we chose to disregard it.”

State, union response

Gov. Jay Inslee already has lifted the outdoors masking rules starting Feb. 18 because of declining new COVID cases, and he has a news conference scheduled Thursday.

“This action has no impact on the state’s masking requirements. School boards are not empowered to supersede state law. It is null and void,” Mike Faulk, Inslee’s deputy communications director told the Herald.

“The idea that they would cancel a day of school and disrupt students’ and families’ lives for the sake of politics speaks even more poorly of the majority’s actions,” he said.

“Any debate about masks in this pandemic should be centered on science. The science tells us masks work. They are an easy way for people to keep each other safe,” Faulk said. “Throughout the pandemic they have helped reduce infection in congregate settings where people have lower vaccination rates, including schools.”

The Richland Education Association did not directly comment on the board’s decision, but said they supported Dr. Shelley Redinger’s choice to shut schools for the day.

“Dr. Redinger is in contact with OSPI’s Superintendent, Chris Reykdal, and Chief of Staff, Tenille Jeffries-Simmons,” said Ken Hays, the union president. “Dr. Redinger reminds all employees that we are required to follow state law, including the mask mandate. District leadership will be meeting to address the issue and determining the length of the school closing.”

State superintendent rules

When school districts defy the state rules, the state will send a 15-day notice for them change course.

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The rules requires a resolution from the “local education agency” that “rescinds any actions” that violate the proclamation.

If they don’t rescind the action, a second notice will be sent out with a five-day deadline to comply. If they don’t meet that deadline, the state superintendent may withhold the agency’s next monthly apportionment of revenue.

State officials have said they will send a notice to the school district.

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