Masks in school?  It depends on the delta variant, who you talk to, and where you are, writes Maddie Hanna for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The CDC is recommending school masks as a precaution against the contagious delta variant.

Philadelphia region school officials point out that vaccination rates here are higher and COVID-19 cases lower than in the other parts of the country.

The Upper Darby School District plans on masks for children 11 and younger.

Haverford School District hopes to make masks optional.

If, however, the district moved into a “high rate” of transmission of the coronavirus, “we feel that it is the responsible thing for us to look masks for unvaccinated staff and students,” said Haverford Superintendent Marueen Reusche.  

Pennsylvania is recommending districts follow the CDC guidance, with no plan to return the mask mandate.

David Rubin, director of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia PolicyLab pointed out that masking doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

If cases rise, masks could be required in crowded hallways but not classrooms, he said.

If the virus keeps spreading, masks could  also be a way to keep students in school and avoid quarantines.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about returning to school with or without masks.