Henrico Education Association demands masks in classrooms Ted S. Warren/AP FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2021, file photo, students wear masks as they work in a fourth-grade classroom, at Elk Ridge Elementary School in Buckley, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File) By: Henrico Citizen and last updated 2021-07-29 17:03:36-04 HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Henrico Education Association Thursday denounced the Henrico County Public Schoolsâ new mask policy for the 2021-2022 school year, which makes mask-wearing optional in schools. âIf you have read the new HCPS mask policy, you would agree that the latter is woefully inadequate,â wrote Patrick Miller, president of the HEA. âThe health and safety of our members, colleagues, students, and families are neither ârecommendedâ nor âoptional.ââ