The Mascenic School Board rejected a proposal from member Mike Pellerito to update the district’s masking policy so it would not rely solely on district-wide COVID-19 cases.
“That’s shameful,” Pellerito said when the measure failed on a vote of 2-2 Monday, with one board member absent.
Pellerito’s plan called for a mask mandate if the county’s levels are classified as “substantial,” which is defined by the state as either more than 100 new cases per 100,000 in 14 days or a positive rate of above 10% in seven days. Currently, masks are required if cases rise above 10 in the district, and the district removes the mandate when the number of cases dips below the number.
Pellerito said he introduced the plan due to what he saw as “significant changes in the pandemic conditions” from the beginning of the school year and the adoption of the original reopening framework, and called the district’s current COVID-19 masking strategy “reactionary.”
“Once we get to 10, it’s too late,” he said. “It’s more rear-view-mirror reactionary than proactive.”
This fall, Mascenic has moved back and forth multiple times between mandatory and recommended masking as cases fluctuated throughout the district. The district has been announcing these changes via its website. However, Pellerito said the plan doesn’t account for family members and wider community spread of the virus, and that with vaccination rates being low in both towns – New Ipswich is 23% below the state average for vaccinations and Greenville is 18% below – it was time to change the plan.
“I really think it’s time for us to make decisions based on science, data and local conditions,” he said. “I think the current plan has shown itself to not be adequate.”
Board member Kenny Mayne expressed his agreement with Pellerito’s plan, which, if put into effect, would have called for immediate masking in Mascenic schools.
“We as a board need to act for the safety of those individuals who are trying to do the responsible thing,” Mayne said. “I find it unbelievable that a community is really struggling to take this seriously and the people who are suffering the most for it in my mind are the ones who are trying to do the responsible thing.”
Both Board Chair Rachel Anderson and Vice Chair Julie Lampinen voted against the proposal. Thomas Falter was absent.
“Right now, I don’t think, is the time to change midstream,” Lampinen said. “This is a multifaceted issue and masking isn’t an all-in-all solution.”
Lampinen added that she believed in “personal responsibility” on this issue, and did not believe it was the board’s place to tell district families what was best for their children.