San Ramon Valley Schools Will Drop Mask Mandate

SAN RAMON, CA — San Ramon Valley Unified School District will make masks optional starting March 11 at 11:59 p.m., regardless of vaccination status.

Masks will also be strongly recommended, but not required for staff starting March 14, according to a letter sent Tuesday to families by SRVUSD Superintendent Dr. John Malloy.

"Please note that the mask requirement in schools is lifted effective March 11, 2022, at 11:59 p.m," Malloy wrote. "This means that students, regardless of vaccination status, can be indoors at school without a mask beginning Monday, March 14, 2022 (or over the weekend of March 12-13 if participating in campus activities). We anticipate that the state will be releasing additional guidance for school employees within the next two weeks. We will share that guidance when it becomes available."

Malloy also asked families to "respect everyone's personal choice regarding masking, free of judgment, teasing, or peer pressure."

On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that K-12 students would have the option of wearing masks indoors starting March 11. In response to the governor’s announcement, some Contra Costa districts, like Walnut Creek, said that they would drop their mask mandates the following Monday, March 14. Others, like San Francisco, opted to keep the mandate. Other districts in Alameda County, like Dublin Unified School District and Livermore Joint Unified School District, said that they would await further guidance from the county health department.

On Feb. 16, Contra Costa County joined 10 other Bay Area counties in dropping mask mandates for vaccinated individuals in most indoor locations, except public transportation, healthcare and long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, and schools. Masks continue to be strongly recommended to combat the spread of COVID-19.