Indiana will leave school mask mandate in place when statewide requirement ends

Students are on laptops and tablets in virtual class at the Christamore House in Indianapolis, Ind.
Indiana’s school mask mandate will stay in place for the rest of the academic year even after the statewide requirement ends April 6. (Aaricka Washington / Chalkbeat)

Indiana will continue to require that most teachers, students, and staff wear face coverings in school through the end of the academic year, even after the statewide mask mandate lifts April 6.

Outside of schools, face coverings and social distancing will remain recommended statewide, though not required, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb announced Tuesday evening. As the state relaxes its coronavirus restrictions, local governments can still set stricter rules on mask requirements or capacity limits on social gatherings such as high school graduations or proms.

Holcomb also said he expects all Indiana schools to offer full-time in-person instruction at the start of the 2021-22 school year.

“Thankfully, all our teachers have the opportunity to be vaccinated now, and our schools are receiving hundreds of millions of dollars for COVID expenses,” Holcomb said.

About 90% of Indiana schools are already operating in person full time, with many others on hybrid schedules, he added. 

State education and health officials are working to update health guidance for the next school year.

Indiana will open vaccinations March 31 to everyone 16 and older. Teachers in Indiana have been eligible for the vaccine since early March through a federal directive.

The Latest

Teachers and school district leaders spoke with Gov. Jared Polis about the impact of the withheld federal education funding.

CPS owes teachers retroactive raises for last school year and could be making more school-based cuts this month as it works to close a gaping deficit.

The proposed changes are aimed at providing more students the opportunity to move up a grade or take accelerated classes. Officials say internal data show most acceleration applicants come from the north side of the city, which is wealthier and whiter than other parts of Chicago.

Crime rates suggest Detroit is a safer place. But recent incidents, such as the fatal shooting of two youths in a Detroit park, contribute to safety concerns among young people.

By the time I was 11, I was exposed to toxic comments and content.

Tennessee students showed slight progress in statewide testing this year, though a majority of third graders did not meet a significant reading benchmark.