KANSAS CITY, Mo. — School districts in the Kansas City metro area are deciding to keep or ditch masks in the classroom as the school year comes to an end.
The discussions come as The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention loosened COVID-19 restrictions earlier this week.
“There doesn’t seem to be a good reason to change what has worked well," said Angie DalBello, teacher.
DalBello is a teacher in the De Soto School District. She's also a parent of an elementary-aged student in the Shawnee Mission School District. Both districts are located in Johnson County, Kansas and each are keeping their current mask mandate. This means that students and teachers will be required to wear face masks until the end of the school year.
“I am more comfortable wearing a mask at school, I don’t know what percentage of my students have been vaccinated or are fully vaccinated," DalBello said.
Earlier this week, the CDC authorized the vaccine in children ages 12-15. DalBello's daughter is not eligible to receive her dose.
“I’m not concerned for my personal health anymore since I’m fully vaccinated but I have an eight-year-old daughter so she’s obviously not vaccinated yet," DalBello said.
While DalBello is in favor of the mask mandate, other parents across the state line are pleased to see their districts going in a different direction.
A spokesperson for the Lee's Summit School District told 41 Action News it will comply with expired health orders, removing the mask requirement at schools in the district regardless of vaccination status.
However, masks remain mandated on school buses.
The Blue Springs School District will also remove its mask mandate, effective immediately.
Kansas City Public Schools will keep its mask requirement. A spokesperson for the district said the topic is being discussed and monitored and changes will be communicated to students, families and staff.
Olathe Schools are another district maintaining its mask requirement until the last day of school on Thursday, May 20. Additionally, students and staff participating in summer activities like summer school will continue to wear masks indoors through June.
The CDC recommends people who have not been fully vaccinated continue wearing masks.
DalBello says she is fully vaccinated, but worries the mask mandate was lifted too soon.
“I still just want to be cautious, be careful because we made a lot of choices and sacrifices to stay safe that I don’t want to blow it at this point in time," she said.
