October 26, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
Commissioner of Education Jeffrey Riley this week extended the statewide public schools mask mandate through at least Jan. 15, 2022.
The masks are required indoors -- except when eating or drinking and during mask breaks -- with some exceptions. Masks must be worn on school busses.
This decision is consistent with the authority provided by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education -- which authorized Riley to last August require masks to be worn by all K-12 public school students ages five and older, educators, staff, and visitors until at least Oct. 1 to allow time to increase the vaccination rate in public school buildings.
This latest decision was made "after consulting with medical experts and state health officials," according to a press release issued by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. "The Department will continue to work with medical experts and state health officials to evaluate the mask requirement beyond Jan. 15."
Before the date was extended until at least Jan. 15, Riley had already extended the date to Nov. 1 or later, at his discretion.
Currently, if public school building administrators are able to demonstrate a combined vaccination rate of 80 percent or more among students and staff in a public school through an attestation form submitted to DESE, then vaccinated individuals in that school would no longer be subject to the state mask requirement. "Whether or not a school or district avails themselves of the 80 percent vaccination off ramp is a local decision to be made by school and district leaders in consultation with local health officials," according to DESE. "In alignment with statewide guidance, unvaccinated students and staff would be required to continue wearing masks."
For this school year, DESE is requiring that all public school districts provide in-person learning to students. "Since the start of the year, approximately 920,000 public school students have been learning in schools with minimal disruptions," according to DESE. "In addition to masking, this progress has been possible thanks to school communities working together to participate in the state’s COVID-19 testing program, combined with high vaccination rates among eligible populations."
Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccination rates for adults and currently-eligible children. "The Commonwealth’s high vaccination rates and low transmission rates are other important factors supporting in-person learning," the press release states. "In addition, with the expected announcement of the vaccine becoming available for children ages 5-11 in the coming weeks, an extension of the mask requirement would allow time for the elementary school population to receive the vaccine."
More than 2,200 public schools have opted into DESE’s COVID-19 surveillance and symptomatic testing program to support "the continuity of safe, in-person learning for our children," according to DESE.
As part of this program, an innovative "Test and Stay" program was instituted geared toward keeping students who are close contacts of COVID-positive individuals in school until they potentially test positive through a daily testing program to allow as much in-person learning as possible, among other components. Parental consent is required for a student to participate. The Hingham Public Schools participate in this program.
This testing has saved more than 48,000 days of student learning so far this school year, according to DESE.