POLITICO-Harvard poll: 40 percent of parents believe masks at school harmed their kids

That would be difficult to sell to parents of school-aged children, according to the survey. More than 4 in 10 believe mask-wearing harmed their children's overall academic experience, compared to 11 percent who said it helped. Half of parents said masks didn't make a difference.

Forty-six percent of parents said mask-wearing hurt their child's social learning and interactions, and 39 percent said it affected their child's mental and emotional health.

Robert Blendon, a professor, said that even if he was in a Democratic state, he would pay attention because there are a lot of independent parents who think the policy is hurting their children.

A survey of 478 parents who have their children attend school in person from March 1 to March 7 found they are split on whether a mask is needed to keep their children safe from Covid-19 and Omicron.

A small majority of independents said masks weren't necessary to keep kids safe, a figure that Blendon said should alarm any politician considering reimplementing masks in schools.

The parents who are against it are not going back. It's not good for children's education and it takes two years.

Roughly two-thirds of parents who send their kids to schools that don't require face coverings said masks were unnecessary, compared to the number of parents with kids in schools that still require masks.

Local leaders were responding to parents' concerns according to Blendon.

The parents who are against it are not going back.

He said that places where parents really felt this was hurting got rid of the mandates.

A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll in February showed a slightly higher approval of school mask mandates.

Democrats were more likely to say masks were needed in the poll than those with children in school.

Democrats told Harvard pollsters that it was still necessary for children to wear masks in school compared to Republicans.

According to the Harvard poll, 19 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of independents thought masking hurt their child's school experience.