On Friday, I wrote about the ambiguity in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order forbidding mask mandates in Virginia schools, which appeared to apply to both public and private institutions. That morning Cato Center for Education Freedom staff called the Virginia Department of Education asking for clarification, because we had seen no explicit public statement that the order included private schools. Yesterday we received confirmation that the order is, indeed, intended to apply to private schools.

This is bad news. If you want to empower parents—all parents—as Gov. Youngkin suggests he does, the way to do it is not to cut off their schooling options. But that is what this order does, saying private schools—chosen schools—cannot have policies that at least some parents want. In this case, full masking to minimize the threat of COVID-19.

As we at Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom have pointed out—and much of the country seems to have recognized—COVID-19 has been a perfect example of why choice is necessary. Diverse families have myriad needs, fears, and desires, and only choice enables them to get what they believe they need without having to impose on others. That is an immensely valuable thing that needs to be greatly expanded, not constrained, especially by executive fiat.