SCRANTON, Pa. — It's something that hasn't happened in two years, one of our area's largest school district makes a big change.
That change affects 10,000 students in the Scranton School District and it deals with the fight against COVID-19.
Masks in the school district are now optional. The Centers for Disease Control now sees Lackawanna County as an area with the low transmission rate, so the masks can come off.
The school board met and voted Monday night. It was unanimous. All eight school directors at the meeting voted for the new mask policy.
School board members say the district followed CDC recommendations since day one of the pandemic, and dropping the mask mandate is no exception.
Some things remain in place. The Scranton School District still has the option of going virtual if coronavirus cases in city schools head up again.
The Scranton school board decision doesn't mean masks are banned. It does make them optional, and school board members say any student who wants to keep the mask is free to do so.
You can watch the full school board meeting below.