Face masks will no longer be required in Wake school buses. Here’s when mandate ends.
Updated with Johnston County voting to make masks optional on school buses.
Wake County students will not be required to wear face masks on school buses starting next week.
On Friday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it will no longer require face coverings to be worn on school buses. Based on the change, the Wake County school system announced Monday that face coverings will be recommended — but no longer required — on school transportation starting March 7.
“It is possible that state action this week could remove the mask requirement sooner on all buses,” Wake said in the message. “We will monitor and send any updates as warranted.”
In the meantime, masks will still be required on Wake school buses for most students for the rest of the week. The only place where masks won’t be required on buses this week is on buses related to athletics, band, and co-curriculars.
The mask change for buses mirrors the approach Wake is using for ending the requirement for face coverings during the school day. Starting next week, face masks will go from being required to recommended in schools.
Wake had cited the CDC rule for continuing to require masks on buses after March 7.
The Johnston County school board voted 5-1 at a special meeting on Wednesday to immediately make face masks optional on school buses.
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 6:16 PM.
