Head-Royce Eases Mask Mandate for Upper School

Masks will not be mandatory in outdoor spaces for Upper School students and faculty after October 4, the School announced.

The School has required students to wears masks — except for when eating — ever since they returned to campus on January 18. This week, the School decided to relax its guidance, hoping to regain a sense of normalcy.

“We’ve just taken a very conservative approach to masks from the beginning,” said Head of School Crystal Land. “But outdoor transmission is very low, and we believe it’s really good for tennagers’ and adults’ mental health to have conversations face to face.”

The School made the decision based on student vaccination rates and recommendations from the Medical Advisory Board. 98% of  Upper School students and 100% of faculty are fully vaccinated.

However, because Lower and Middle School students cannot be vaccinated, masks are still required around them. Land is optimistic that the Lower and Middle school vaccination rates will eventually reach a level where the School will lift all masking restrictions.

“We might be able to unmask in the classroom, too, if there is more herd immunity,” Land said. “You can’t wear masks for the rest of your life.” 

The decision to lift the mask mandate is not final, according to Land. A new variant or new data could lead the school to reverse its decision in the future.

School Administrators hope this change to masking policy in the Upper School will facilitate a greater connection between members of the community.

“It just seems healthier to have more nuanced conversations face to face,” Land said.