PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Like most things in the pandemic, the rules change often. Just when schools felt like they get their footing, superintendents say they have new updates to respond to.

While the state lifted the indoor mask mandate on March 12, the decision to keep or ditch masks will still be up to local school districts.

Parkrose Superintendent Michael Lopes-Serrao said the decision isn’t easy especially since the end date has changed 3 times. “It went from after Spring Break to right before Spring Break starts. Now it’s before Spring Break.”

Zachary Melzer, who teaches at Parkrose, said he thinks “it’s really reasonable to extend the mask mandate, at least for us, through the end of the year.”

He told the school board Monday the majority of staff is not ready to roll back masks.

Lopes-Serrao suggested the board make a final decision by March 7.

“It will be really important that we have clear communication about what we will be doing the week after the 11th,” the superintendent said.

Meanwhile, school districts across the metro area are mulling over the masks.

  • Portland Public Schools is working on it with the local health department
  • Beaverton School District is working on it with the local health department
  • Hillsboro School District said masks will become optional but is working on transition details expected at the end of the week.
  • Forest Grove Schools also said masks will be optional, but said there will be instances where masking is required based on individual students’ needs, such as those who are medically fragile
  • Gresham-Barlow expects to have an update on Friday

Oregon education leaders, like Department of Education Director Colt Gill, said the move is a work in progress.

“Those districts are in regular conversations with their communities and in regular conversations with their employee groups to work out what they plan to do and many of them may continue with masks locally for that week before Spring Break before they begin to implement changes,” Gill said.

On Wednesday, the Oregon Education Department will have new COVID safety guidelines for schools once the mask requirement is gone.

But superintendents say the public debate makes masks complicated.

“I think that the three core Portland districts — David Douglas, PPS and Parkrose — are all feeling very conflicted about what to do,” Lopes-Serrao said.