February 17, 2022
Dear Families,
On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Senate Bill 739 into law. It removes all school mask requirements in Virginia effective March 1, 2022.
Norton City Schools has currently been following the Governor’s Executive Order 2 and will continue with a mask-optional learning environment in accordance with the Senate Bill 739 for all students in our buildings. However, we will continue to strongly encourage mask wearing as a key strategy in our efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community.
In continuing this transition, we will focus on maintaining a positive and welcoming learning environment in which students feel comfortable wearing or not wearing a mask, whatever the choice may be.
It is important to note that, per federal regulations, students will need to continue wearing masks on school buses. All staff members will also be required to wear masks in our buildings, per Virginia Department of Labor and Industry guidelines. We expect to have more information on this requirement within the next 30 days.
As a school division, we will continue to review and update our mitigation strategies to keep our staff and students safe and our schools open for the remainder of the school year. As always, thank you for your flexibility, support, and understanding as we navigate the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sincerely,
Dr. Gina Wohlford
Superintendent of Norton City Schools
