Proponents like to say “what’s the harm” and “kids are resilient” and, yes, my kids are. But not all kids.

And beyond a pep talk, I think parents are owed metrics for when masks are and are not necessary. Because here in Fairfax County, it seems to parents like me that our leaders are simply sticking their finger in the political wind.

The Virginia governor has his own mask mandate, but the county government mandates masks as well. There are no specific guidelines for what is needed for them to lift a mask mandate .

These are but some of the many good reasons families are leaving in droves. More than 46,000 fewer students are enrolled in Virginia public schools since before the pandemic, with Fairfax experiencing the biggest drop. FCPS lost more than 10,000 students or 5.4% of its student population. The more this mess goes on, the worse those numbers will get.