Richland schools to remain closed Thursday
By Dan Thesman on Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
RICHLAND – All Richland School District schools and facilities will remain in an emergency closure Thursday. No student transportation will be provided.
For more than three hours, the Richland School Board held an emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon via Zoom and immediately convened an executive session. The purpose was to consult with legal counsel regarding the mask mandate and Open Public Meetings Act. No action was taken Wednesday night.
During a special meeting Tuesday, the board voted 3 to 2 to make the wearing of face coverings in district schools and facilities optional and the district cancelled school Wednesday to plan a path forward. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction responded saying if corrective action isn’t taken by the board, funding would be withheld.
Governor Jay Inslee is scheduled to announce at 2 p.m. Thursday when Washington’s mandate on face coverings will come to an end.
