We have a unique situation

Two school systems, two policies pertaining to students with masks. We have a unique opportunity to observe how these policies compare.
The Marion County School System began the school year last week simply recommending students to wear masks in classrooms. The Winfield City School System went ahead and required them in all of its facilities.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 K-12 Dashboard, both systems recorded less than five cases of COVID-19. At first glance, one would suspect that the larger, unmasked county school system would have returned higher cases of COVID-19 after its first week.