West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) Superintendent Dr. Chris Hurst says it is prohibited to incentivise mask wearing in schools, such as providing candy or doughnuts to convince students to wear them.
In his weekly newsletter, Dr. Chris Hurst strongly recommended masking but reminded school communities that wearing a mask is no longer required on campuses as district policies have aligned with state health recommendations.
“Wearing a mask is part of the district’s COVID-19 mitigation strategy, and masks should be made available in every WCCUSD classroom,” the superintendent said. “However, providing incentives to students to wear a mask is prohibited. Providing candy and doughnuts to students to encourage them to wear masks goes against the district’s student wellness policy, which discourages the use of candy and similar rewards for student conduct.”
Hurst added, “Moreover, providing a reward or incentive to students who wear masks could be seen as bullying and/or discriminatory behavior either by the students who ‘feel compelled’ to wear a mask as a result, or by the students who continue to decline to wear a mask.”
Read Dr. Hurst’s full newsletter here.
