With recent Centers for Disease Control guidelines recommending full masking in schools for the fall and the Delta variant of COVID-19 on the rise, local school districts are deciding how to approach mask mandates for the upcoming school year.
The Mascenic school board voted Monday to pass their mitigation plan, which makes masks optional if the district has low transmission, or fewer than 10 COVID-19 cases district-wide. If cases rise above 10, masks will be required.
Superintendent Chris Martin said that the plan had been formulated based on local transmission rates, local vaccination rates, and guidance from the Commissioner of Education.
“It is based on wanting our children in school every single day of the school year,” Martin said. “I do not want to have anything that removes a day of school for any child.”
The plan saw opposition from the community on both sides of the issue, with some parents calling for an end to masking altogether and some parents asking that masks by mandated regardless of district case level.
Matthew Saari, from New Ipswich, told the board that he had created a Facebook poll asking district parents to vote on the issue of masking, and that 85% of respondents had said no.
“We don’t want masks on our children, period,” he said. “We sacrificed enough last year.”
Many community members expressed their agreement with Saari, with some questioning the efficacy of masks, claiming they did not work in combating disease spread, or claiming that they instead caused health issues.
Other members of the public stated their desire to have masks be required from the outset. Alan Roe of Greenville pointed out that with Greenville and New Ipswich having low vaccination rates, and cases rising in the state, not having a mask requirement would be dangerous.
“We should really reconsider,” Roe said. “We haven’t even started school yet, and the rate is really high everywhere.”
Martin defended the plan, stating that the potential for a mask mandate might not even be realized. “Last year, even in the heart of our struggles, we never got to 10 cases at the same time,” Martin said.
Additionally, Martin and the board emphasized that in an ever-changing landscape, the plan could be amended if transmission became more widespread or local guidance changed.
Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School Board also discussed the district’s opening framework during its meeting Tuesday, though no final decisions were made, with the board pushing off approving the reopening plan until its Aug. 24 meeting.
The current draft reopening plan for Wilton-Lyndeborough has three levels of mitigation strategies, which are triggered by increasing COVID-19 cases within the community.
In Level I, students would be learning in-person five days a week, with masks mandatory on school buses and optional indoors for staff and students, with three feet of distance maintained whenever possible, including in the lunch room.
At Level II, there would still be five days of in-person learning, but the school would offer a remote option. Masks would become mandatory at school, during vents and on the school bus, and optional outdoors. The three feet of separation would be required at all schools, during school events and on buses. Temperature taking would be required for students and staff.
At Level III, the district would be in a fully remote model, with masks mandatory indoors and outdoors while on school property. Anyone entering a building would be required to have a temperature check.
The School Board would review health and safety protocols, at a minimum, on Sept. 28, Dec. 14 and March 15.
Opinions appeared mixed among the residents who attended Tuesday’s meeting, particularly on the issue of mask-wearing. Though residents on both side of the issue spoke, the majority expressed they did not want their children wearing masks in the classroom.
“I don’t want my child going back to school with a mask,” said Lyndeborough resident Darlene Anzalone, who said she didn’t think it was emotionally or physically healthy. If mask-wearing was required, Anzalone said she would not be sending her children to school.
Jeffrey Stratton of Wilton noted that New Hampshire currently does not have a mask mandate, and said it would be “outrageous at this juncture” to require them.
Other parents felt differently, and said making masking “optional” was a bad idea.
Jennifer Gagnon of Wilton pointed out that both Wilton and Lyndeborough have COVID-19 vaccination rates of under 50%. Wilton has a 47% vaccination rate, and Lyndeborough 42%.
“Having masks be optional puts everyone at risk,” she said.
The board discussed under what circumstances the district should switch from one level to another. Some board members said there shouldn’t be a hard and fast tipping point based on COVID-19 numbers in the community.
School Board member Matt Mannarino said the goal of the board should be to have “as many (students) as possible (in school) for as long as possible,” as their goal.
Member Paul White disagreed, noting that if the board relies on pre-agreed upon numbers as tipping points, the process can move along, noting that last year, the board went “round and round” on COVID-19 protocols and when to trigger different levels of protection.
Other board members said they wanted to continue to have those discussions.
Member Brianne Lavallee said that while she strongly believed in-person learning was the best model for children and teachers, the board also needed to be cognizant of the current state of vaccinations, and that they are not currently available for children under 12. She said there may be parents who are unable to get the vaccination for their younger children, who also needed to feel secure sending them to school.
“We need to understand the choices are different at different ages,” Lavallee said.
Board members reviewed the draft reopening plan, but only made minor changes on Tuesday night. One of those changes was to change the wording that masking be “strongly recommended” at Level I, to “optional.”
Some members disagreed with that change, with Lavallee noting that functionally, the wording didn’t prevent anyone from not wearing a mask. While some board members voted in favor of keeping the “strongly recommended” language, the majority of the board voted to switch to “optional.”
The board also asked Superintendent Peter Weaver to create a community survey to get a better understanding of community needs and wants surrounding masking and remote learning. Weaver agreed to create the survey and have results for the board prior to their next meeting.
The ConVal School Board will be holding a meeting Thursday to discuss the potential for masks this fall. Jaffrey-Rindge will discuss the same issue Monday next week.