Central Ohio schools begin unmasking again

A “freedom convoy” of protesters planned to circle the Gahanna-Jefferson school district administration building today to pressure officials to drop a student mask mandate.

• Turns out they didn’t need to.

What’s happening: As of Thursday, officials at the Gahanna-Jefferson school district made wearing masks optional — and most other central Ohio districts are planning to follow suit.

• As the Omicron variant wanes, educators are feeling the pressure to join in another “great unmasking,” as Axios’ Tina Reed calls it.

Why it matters: Nearly two years into the pandemic, masks remain a polarizing topic in schools. Politics play a big role in area policies, which have tended to be more reactive to COVID-19 surges than proactive.

State of play: Mandates are dropping in a domino effect.

• South-Western ended its requirement today.
• Dublin and Westerville will Tuesday.
• Upper Arlington does Feb. 28.

Yes, but: Columbus City Schools, the first district to announce a mask mandate for all students last summer, has no plans to change its policy, spokesperson Jacqueline Bryant tells Axios.

What they’re saying: “The superintendent has followed the guidance of our local health officials,” and that advice hasn’t changed, Bryant says.

Meanwhile, the city of Columbus and a handful of suburbs announced Wednesday they’ll likely be lifting mask mandates for public spaces soon.