Chicago (AP) — Chicago Public Schools will stop requiring face masks for staff and students in the nation’s third-largest school district starting March 14.
The district says the change applies inside school buildings, on school property, and on school buses, though students and employees will still be encouraged to wear masks.
CEO Pedro Martinez said Monday that data on coronavirus cases in the city supports the change. Martinez also pointed to other large school districts’ decision to stop requiring face masks in recent weeks, including New York.
But the Chicago Teachers Union says the district’s change violates its safety agreement with teachers.
