Hilliard schools to make masks optional starting this week

HILLIARD, Ohio — Hilliard City Schools announced on Monday that the district will no longer require masks to be worn inside its buildings starting this week.

Superintendent David Stewart said masks will be optional starting Feb. 16 for all students and staff.

Stewart described the drop in cases in the district as “dramatic and sustained,” adding it was time to reconsider the requirement for universal masking in Hilliard schools.

“This does not mean we will stop monitoring our data daily. We will continue to update our webpage each Friday with the number of student and staff cases in each building,” Stewart wrote in an email to parents.

Due to federal law, students will still have to wear masks on school buses at least until March 18.

Students who still want to wear a mask are encouraged to do so. Parents and students can get a free N95 mask at the district office on Atlas Street.

“We know that the best place for kids is in school, in-person, full-time. All of our mitigation efforts have been aimed at ensuring this for our students and families. Again, we are extremely proud of the efforts of our collective community and are excited that we have reached this point,” Stewart wrote in the letter.

The district is asking families to still notify school nurses if a student tests positive.