BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland State Board of Education will host a special virtual meeting to collect feedback on the state’s emergency school masking requirement.

The virtual meeting will be take place on Tuesday, November 16 at 1 p.m. via WebEx.

Last spring, the State Board passed a resolution calling for the return of in-person learning for the SY 2021-2022. The State Board implemented the emergency mask requirement to ensure that all Maryland students and staff would have a safe environment for learning.

During the meeting, the State Board will provide an extended public comment period. The State Board will hear from several panels consisting of Maryland parents and students, key education stakeholders, and national public health experts. In addition, the Maryland Department of Health will provide a status update on COVID-19 in the state and MSDE will provide an update.

Public comment can be provided during this meeting according to the guidelines for virtual participation. Comments are limited to three minutes. Registration is limited to 20 individuals and is first come, first served. Once the 20-person maximum is reached additional individuals may be placed on a waiting list.

Registration for public comment is now open and ends at 3 p.m. on Monday, November 15.

Interested individuals can register by calling the Office of the State Board of Education at 410-767-0467 and leaving a message, or by emailing [email protected].

Confirmed registrants will be notified and provided information to access the meeting, along with guidelines for participating.

Registration information can be found online here.