Masks Required Until End Of Year In Salt Lake School District

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Salt Lake City School District has made the decision to require face masks through the end of the school year, after the state’s mask mandate expires.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced that the state health order requiring masks in school would expire one week before the end of school. He also said school districts could make the decision to continue the requirement on their own.

Salt Lake schools end the 2020-21 school year on Monday, June 7.

School officials said they made their decision Tuesday based on guidance from public health experts.

“We’ve come too far to let go of proven safety practices like mask-wearing with just a few days left in the school year,” said Interim Superintendent Larry Madden.

With vaccinations recently available to those age 12 to 16, and the lack of an option for children under the age of 11, Madden said very few students have been vaccinated.

“The risk is too great, especially when we consider those in our school communities with pre-existing health conditions or who have family members at home who are high risk for contracting COVID-19,” he said. “The last thing we want to do is increase the risk in our city just as school is about to let out for the summer.”