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Kalama Elementary School students sit at desks spaced six feet apart with masks on during a lesson in Ms. Anderson's first-grade class in November 2020. Students and staff will no longer be required to wear masks or physically distance starting Monday. 

When packing their backpacks Monday morning, many students and their parents may choose to leave out something that had been a constant this school year — a face mask.

Washington’s indoor mask mandate ends Saturday, making Monday the first mask-optional day for most schools. Local health departments, school districts or individual schools can put stricter rules in place, but Cowlitz County districts won’t require masks in schools or on buses.

Along with the end of the mask mandate, the state Department of Health updated its guidelines for schools this week, changing many requirements to recommendations but keeping some stricter rules in place.

“In-person education and care are valuable to social and emotional health,” State Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah said in a statement. “This new guidance focuses on ways to meet critical state public health requirements while also focusing on keeping kids in school and childcare.”

K-12 schools still are required to ensure access to timely diagnostic testing for students and staff with symptoms or who were potentially exposed.

At schools and daycares, students and staff with COVID-19 symptoms are required to stay home and follow the return protocol. Individuals who test positive must isolate for five full days and can return if their symptoms improve and they don’t have a fever. For the next five days, that person is required to wear a well-fitting mask, according to the Department of Health.

People who don’t want to wear a mask are required to test negative. If they test positive, they are required to wear a mask or continue isolating, according to the department.

Like in other health-care settings, face masks are required in school health rooms, according to the guidance.

Schools no longer have to notify all close contacts but still are required to directly notify employees and students at high risk of severe disease of potential exposure. Schools must report cases and outbreaks to public health and cooperate with investigations.

As throughout the last two years, the Longview School District is following the Department of Health guidance, said Rick Parrish, district spokesman. Masks will be optional and schools will supply them to those who want them, he said.

“We’re continuing to follow guidelines in an effort to keep students and employees safe and to have a healthy learning environment,” Parrish said.

The district will continue to update its online dashboard of COVID-19 cases among students and staff, Parrish said.

The Kelso School District also will continue to update its COVID case dashboard, said Michele Nerland, district spokesperson.

Nerland said the response to the upcoming changes has been “overwhelmingly positive.” The district knows some immunocompromised staff and students may be nervous and fully supports those who want to wear masks, she said. The district is planning to send an email detailing the changes to families this week.

“We know this has been a long road. I want to thank our Kelso community, staff, students and families for their patience, compassion and support during this time,” said Superintendent Mary Beth Tack. “We are excited to move on to the next chapter with our continued commitment to the academic tradition of excellence in Kelso and the well-being of each and every student.”

Castle Rock Superintendent Ryan Greene said the district is excited that optional masking gives the choice to parents while some safety requirements remain.

COVID-19 cases among students and staff have declined significantly since January, with just three reported last week. Greene said he hopes the downward trend continues as the district transitions back to more normal operations.

“Through this whole pandemic we learned to be flexible,” Greene said. “There are a lot of moving parts, and we have to figure out how to get back to the way it was. It will just take time, but we’re excited we’re moving forward.”

In an online update last Monday, Toutle Lake Superintendent Bob Garrett wrote the lifting of mask requirements applies to all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status.

While Woodland schools won’t require masks, families that want their children to continue masking can contact the school to request staff ensure those students wear masks, according to the district. Schools will provide free KN95 masks as supplies last.

The district will maintain some level of distancing based on the situation, said Eric Jacobson, Woodland Schools spokesperson. For example, the district is considering bringing back ceramics classes, which were not possible under distancing requirements, but students will not yet have access to lockers because they are too close together, he said.

Any bullying and harassment of people who choose to wear masks will not be tolerated, according to the district.

Face masks will be optional in Kalama schools, and the district is reviewing its procedures under the new guidelines, said Nick Shanmac, district spokesperson.

“We want families to know that health and well-being of students continues to be the top priority,” Shanmac said. “Even though you see some things like masking changing, several other COVID mitigation strategies ... will continue to help keep transmission low at schools.”

Support of the change by federal, state and local health officials “lends greater confidence” that this is the right time to ease some requirements, Shanmac said.

Cowlitz County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Steve Krager said he is comfortable with the changes given the decrease in COVID-19 activity, level of population immunity and the other safety measures that remain in place.

“It’s OK to be uncomfortable. We’re making a big change and still trying to promote safety in schools,” Krager said. “I’m cautiously optimistic and hopefully we won’t see outbreaks in schools after we take away a couple layers (of protection).”

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Kalama Elementary School students sit at desks spaced six feet apart with masks on during a lesson in Ms. Anderson's first-grade class in November 2020. Students and staff will no longer be required to wear masks or physically distance starting Monday. 

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