Scottsdale Unified School District Announces Plans to Drop Mask Mandates After Winter Break

This week, the Scottsdale Unified School District announced a change in their mask mandate policy. Starting the first week of January, masks will no longer be required on all of their campuses, but will be optional for students and staff.

The decision to not require masks on several campuses comes of course with mix reviews of parents, some ecstatic the mandated policy is going away and giving their student the option, rather than the mandate. Other parents are worried with the COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continuing to rise in the state.

School officials said their decision to lift their mask mandate was a direct result of the COVID-19 vaccine that is now available to children as young as five years old.

According to Scottsdale Unified officials, staff will continue to strongly recommend everyone to wear a mask while on campus. Other school districts in the area such as Madison Elementary in Phoenix and the Paradise Valley School District plan to keep their mask mandates on campus.