Masks Optional In Arlington Schools Starting Monday

ARLINGTON, MA — Masks will be optional in Arlington's K-12 schools starting Monday.

The school committee voted unanimously to accept Superintendent Elizabeth Homan's recommendation, which was based on high vaccination rates among students and staff and a drop in positive tests.

Masks will continue to be required for students ages 2-5 and staff at Menotomy Preschool and APS daycares. Families may apply for a special mask mandate for their preschool or daycare students.

The district will revisit this requirement monthly.

Masks will also be required on all school buses and vans through at least the end of March, and in all school health offices and medical waiting rooms. Students and staff who return to school as part of the test-to-stay program must be masked during days 6-10, except when eating, drinking or outdoors.

Homan shared the following data with the school committee:

• APS vaccination rates for eligible students range from 85-94%;
• The APS staff vaccination rate is 97.9%;
• Approximately 70% of all APS students & staff are participating in weekly PCR pool testing
• The number of positive pools and cases in the schools, town, county, and state have dramatically decreased
• 80% of students and staff are participating in the at-home testing program
• COVID-19 levels in our area have reached their lowest levels since July of 2021, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

Other mitigation efforts like weekly pooled testing, test-to-stay and in-school and at-home symptomatic testing will remain in effect.