How do California parents feel about school masks, COVID vaccines? Poll shows support

California parents and voters largely favor requiring COVID-19 vaccines and masks in schools — although there’s a steep political divide between those who approve of the policies and those who disagree with them, a new poll shows.

A Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies-Los Angeles Times poll surveyed more than 8,900 California registered voters in early February about how kindergarten through 12th grade schools are responding to the COVID pandemic.

The results of the poll – released on Thursday – indicate about 55% of voters who are parents of school-age children approve of adding the COVID vaccine to the list of required shots for students in kindergarten through 12th grade schools, while 42% disapprove.

The poll also shows 61% of parents approve of requiring masks for students, teachers and staff in schools this year, while 37% disapprove. The poll results do not add up to 100% because the remaining respondents reported no opinion.

Voters without school-age children are even more supportive of vaccine and mask requirements. About 66% of these respondents approve of both adding vaccines to the list of required shots and mandating masks in schools. Only about 29% disapprove of requiring vaccines and 30% disapprove of masks.

Overall, 64% of California voters approve of requiring COVID vaccines in schools, while 32% disapprove. About 65% of voters approve of school mask mandates, and 32% of voters disapprove.

When asked about the importance of having their child vaccinated against COVID, 48% of parents said it’s “essential,” 16% said it’s “important,” 5% said it’s “not too important,” 21% said it’s “not at all important” and 10% had no opinion.

California school vaccine, mask rules

Statewide, about 65% of 12 to 17-year-olds are fully vaccinated against COVID, 8.3% are partially vaccinated and 26.7% are unvaccinated, according to California Department of Public Health data.

Only about 30% of 5 to 11-year-olds are fully vaccinated, 7% are partially vaccinated and nearly 63% are unvaccinated.

Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2021 issued an order requiring California students to get COVID vaccines to attend in-person classes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fully approves shots for their age groups.

State lawmakers are also pushing a series of bills designed to increase COVID vaccine rates. A bill from Sen. Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, would end a personal belief exemption in Newsom’s order, while a bill from Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, would allow children 12 and older to get COVID vaccines without their parents’ permission.

Pan on Thursday touted the results of the poll on Twitter, saying “a clear two-thirds of Californians want to keep schools open and to stop the #COVID19 #pandemic.”

Although there’s no longer a statewide indoor mask rule in place, students and staff in California schools still must wear face coverings. State health officials have said they’ll re-evaluate the school mask requirement on Feb. 28.

Poll results vary by race/ethnicity and political party

The poll results show a vast divide between Democrats and Republicans, as well as voters who identify as conservative or liberal.

About 85% of Democrats approve of mandating COVID vaccines in schools, and 87% approve of requiring masks. On the other hand, just 29% of Republicans approve of requiring shots for students, and 26% approve of school mask rules.

Unsurprisingly, “strongly conservative” voters are the least supportive of school vaccine and mask rules, while “strongly liberal” voters overwhelmingly approve of the requirements.

About 24% of strongly conservative voters disapprove of COVID school vaccines requirements, and 23% disapprove of mask rules. Conversely, 92% of strongly liberal voters approve of both vaccine and mask rules.

Most voters who identified as “moderate” also approve of mask and vaccine rules. About 63% of moderate voters approve of requiring COVID vaccines for students, and 68% approve of school mask mandates.

Poll results also varied by respondents’ race or ethnicity.

Black and Asian/Pacific Islander voters show more support for school vaccine and mask rules than other races or ethnicities.

About 74% of Asian/Pacific Islander voters approve of school vaccine requirements and 76% support mask rules. About 69% of Black voters support student vaccine rules, and 82% approve of mask requirements.

White voters show the least amount of support for school vaccine and mask requirements, although 61% still approve of vaccine rules, and 56% approve of mask mandates.

About 64% of Latino voters approve of school vaccine rules, and 76% support mask mandates.

Most California regions support vaccine, mask rules

Voters throughout California approve of school vaccine and mask rules, although support varies by region.

San Francisco Bay Area voters are the biggest proponents of requiring vaccines and masks — 76% approve of COVID shot requirements and 74% approve of school mask mandates.

Voters on the North Coast and in the Sierras expressed the least support for vaccine and mask rules. About 47% of voters surveyed in the region approve of school vaccine requirements, and just 41% approve of mask mandates.

In Southern California, about 68% of Los Angeles County voters support COVID vaccines in school, and 71% approve of mask requirements. About 58% of Orange County voters approve of vaccine requirements, and 57% support mask rules.

On the Central Coast, 66% of voters approve of student vaccine mandates, and 67% support school mask rules. In the Central Valley, 53% of voters support school vaccine requirements, and 54% approve of mask-wearing requirements.

In spite of the support for school mask requirements, a handful of districts have opted to defy the state mandate and end the rule requiring face coverings early.

In the Sacramento region, Roseville Joint Union High School District’s board made masks optional at its facilities starting on Feb. 15.

On the Central Coast, Paso Robles Joint Unified School District’s board voted on Tuesday to allow students to choose whether they wear masks, although face coverings are still required for staff, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported.

In the San Joaquin Valley, the Clovis Unified School District board on Wednesday voted to allow students who refuse to wear masks to remain in class, the Fresno Bee reported.

Confidence in school COVID safety varies by race/ethnicity

The poll also asked parents whether they feel their children are safe from COVID at school, whether in-person instruction should be allowed and whether there’s been a perceived change in the overall quality of education in local public schools during the pandemic.

Parents overwhelmingly support in-person instruction, with 79% saying they favor it and 13% saying they oppose it.

About 57% of overall respondents said they’re confident their kids are safe from COVID at school, while 37% said they’re not confident.

White parents reported feeling better about their children’s COVID safety at school, while parents of color aren’t as confident.

About 68% of white parents are confident about their children’s school COVID safety, while only 46% of Latino parents feel the same way.

About 59% of Asian parents said they feel confident about their kids’ COVID safety at school, as did 54% of Black parents.

Parents across the political ideology spectrum reported feeling that the quality of their children’s public school education has “gotten worse.” However, 83% of “strongly conservative” parents said their kids’ schooling has suffered, compared to 66% of “strongly liberal” parents.

“These results suggest that while concerns about the impact of COVID on education span all major voter subgroups, big partisan differences remain when voters are asked how schools should respond to the pandemic,” said Eric Schickler, IGS co-director.

This story was originally published February 24, 2022 at 2:39 PM with the headline "How do California parents feel about school masks, COVID vaccines? Poll shows support."