MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Tonight, on March 24, the MPS announced that masks will be optional starting April 18.

The decision was made at a monthly school board meeting by the Milwaukee School Board of Directors.

The new mask policy is a change from what was initially a mask mandate across MPS.

The district will still be given the option to go back to the original mask mandate policy if the COVID rates start to increase.

The district continues to watch the spread and encourage students and staff to take the right procedures to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.