Metro Detroit school districts debate potential mask mandates for 2021-22 school year

DETROIT – Michigan is allowing individual school districts and county health departments to make their own policies.

More: Tracking Michigan school districts, colleges requiring masks for 2021-2022 school year

As of Thursday, Aug. 19, a little more than 10% of Michigan’s school districts are mandating masks.

With 60 school districts with mask policies, parents on both sides of the debate are frustrated as we approach the 2021-22 school year.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the state’s chief medical executive, said she recommended to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that data shows that students who wear masks will slow the spread of coronavirus, but the decision on masks has been left to a local level.

Several parents believe that their school district might flip and go with mandatory masks -- for example, Birmingham Public Schools told parents that masks were not required, but due to the transmission trends they are seeing, masks are now required.

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