The Ohio Department of Health will not require students or teachers to wear masks in the classroom this upcoming school semester but officials are strongly urging those who are not vaccinated to wear one.

Local medical officials are protesting the idea, saying we need more than just strong recommendations.


"I just don't think that strongly recommend is enough because I find that strongly recommend generally equates to those individuals following the pathway of least resistence," said Dr. Dee Banks, infectious disease specialist. "And that's not to wear a mask and not to get vaccinated," she said.


Banks also says each school system should determine whether or not they need mandates by looking at the vaccine numbers in their counties as opposed to just going along with no mandates.


"We're in the middle of a pandemic and as has been said numerous times, this is the pandemic of the unvaccinated so if we're not gonna start mandating vaccines for you know, individuals in different types of situations, then we need to mandate masks," she said.


Local officials in education say that this time last year, they were far more concerned with what the school year would look like.

Now, even with no mask mandates, they are ready to have their students back and are prepared for anything.


"Whether it is mask or no mask, the social distancing side, all the different measures that we put in place last year, I think that has taken a lot of the concern away," said Kevin O'Connel, superintendent for McDonald Local Schools. "So I think we just have to be prepared to, to meet those needs," he said.


Other educational leaders say they'll follow any and all guidelines and are very excited to get back to normal.


"We wanna get through this pandemic and get back to normalcy as best we can and as fast as we can, but we have to be careful about it," said Dave Cappuzzello, superintendent for Austintown Schools. "So We're basically thrilled to hear that there was no mandates but just strong suggestions as what the school should look for, for next year," he said.


Those suggestions include vaccines for eligible staff and students and that the unvaccinated wear masks.


"If they reccommend it then we probably are not gonna do it because we know what we went through last year and how difficult that was for our students and our staff, but those that want to wear them, we'll let them wear their masks, of course," said Cappuzzello.