Area schools consider updating masking policies

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Parents might be wondering, as the Milwaukee city-wide mask mandate comes to and end, if we aren't wearing masks in public anymore, when will our kids get to go to school without them?

Over the next 48 hours, there may be big changes in many schools' masking policies as school boards take up the issue.

South Milwaukee did this Monday morning, with masks being recommended instead of required starting Tuesday, a move West-Allis West Milwaukee took last week.

St. Francis School District Administrator Deborah Kerr said Monday was their first day without masks.

"It's been a very joyful day, it's kind of like Valentine's Day, but just knowing that kids can see each other smiling and make that eye contact without wondering 'who am I talking to,'" said Kerr. "It just seems to be a sense of relief."

She said they still want to stress personal choice in mask usage, and right now with students it's about 50/50.

Others are still working through the decision; Greenfield, Nicolet, and Cudahy will be discussing possible changes to masking policies at their school board meetings Monday night, Feb. 28, as goes for Shorewood Tuesday night.

Cudahy School District Superintendent Tina Owen-Moore said while the final decision is always up to the school board, it's a good time to talk about change in a responsible way.

"Given the number of cases in our schools and from the community, and especially with the new recommendations from the CDC that just came out this week, we're looking forward to moving to a new phase in this pandemic," said Owen-Moore.

As for Milwaukee Public Schools, officials didn't indicate there were any plans in the works for changing the mask requirement at this time.