Schools in Richland, Washington, are under an emergency closure Wednesday after the Richland School Board defied the state mask mandate and voted in favor of making face masks optional.
“I move that, effective immediately, we go to ‘mask choice,’ and that’s effective immediately,” Richland School Board member Semi Bird said during a special meeting Tuesday. “I feel strongly about my vote. Our children should come first.”
Just a few hours after the school board approved “mask choice” by a 3-2 vote, the Richland School District announced the emergency closure, affecting all district schools and student transportation in order to “plan a path forward.”
“We ask for your patience as the district works to ensure our schools can continue to serve all students,” the district announced via Facebook.
Despite state Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s call to end mask mandates, he warned that schools could risk losing funding if they are not in compliance with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s mask mandate.
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In northeast Washington, Kettle Falls School Board also voted Monday to make masks optional. Reykdal put Kettle Falls School District on notice with a letter saying it had “willfully failed to comply with the mask mandate.”
“Failure to follow the law and executive orders may lead to [the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction] withholding, and eventually reducing, your funding; and you may have personal liability if you willfully violate a law, safety order, or executive order,” Reykdal wrote.
More threats and then some dubious legal advice from Chris Reykdal. It seems that he’s saying one thing in public, but behind closed doors he’s actively still trying to keep up the mask charade with threats to elected officials. pic.twitter.com/6SoyGI6MQH
— Joe (@JoeKennewick) February 13, 2022
Washington currently requires that all school personnel, visitors, and students wear face masks when indoors on school grounds.
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The school districts’ decisions come as the Washington state Senate passed a bill that would limit Inslee’s emergency powers to just 90 days. The state has been under a state of emergency for nearly 700 days.
