Westwood Schools To Continue Universal Mask Policy

WESTWOOD, MA - Members of the Westwood School Committee this week agreed that the current universal mask policy in school buildings should be continued as school starts, citing concerns over the delta variant and the risk of exposure to vulnerable students.

No vote was taken on the matter after more than an hour of feedback from concerned parents because it was a continuation of current policy. The issue will be revisited during the September 9 committee meeting, and it will likely be reviewed on a monthly basis as information about COVID-19 changes.

Parents on both sides of the issue participated via Zoom, and opinions on the need for students to wear masks were sharply divided. Some believed mask wearing was unnecessary because of low transmission rates among children and concern about the impact on students' social and emotional health. Others noted that the delta variant is more transmissable in children than previous strains, and that masks should be worn by all students to protect those who are at risk.

Superintendent Emily Parks gave a presentation on the virus's status in Westwood as well as the most recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the joint statement from the state's Deaprtment of Public Health and Department of Elementary and Secondary Educaiton. Her priority is for all students to be able to return to in-person learning, which was the one point where parents seemed to agree.

"The most important thing is to have students learning in person without interruptions," she said. "I think it's important to start with that premise."

Strict physical distancing will not be able to be enforced because of the decrease in staff from last year and the space limitations of the school buidings now that rooms are returning to regular use. Other mitigation strategies will be in place, such as pool testing and eventual vaccination clinics, Parks noted. Parents should monitor their children for symptoms and keep them home if they are ill.

One new policy that will be implemented for districts including Westwood that opt to stay in the state's testing program. Called "test and stay," it will allow students who are exposed to COVID-19 while in school and are asymptomatic to wear masks and maintian three feet of distance where possible. They would take a rapid antogen test every school day, and as long as the test results are negative and they remain asymptomatic, they can remain in school. Fully vaccinated close contacts exposed to COVID-19 are exempt from testing and quarantine protocols as long as they remain asymptomatic.

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Committee chair Maya Plotkin said the committee received "a lot of correspondence" before the meeting on both sides of the issue. She also noted the Westwood Board of Health's recommendation that masks be worn indoors.

Parents also voiced their opinions during the meeting, with the responses divided.

Tina Collins advocated for parental choice on masking, noting there is no current federal or state mandate.

"If you choose to do so, you will be taking away our rights to bodily autonomy," she said. "The decision to mask or not mask our children should be entirely up to the parents."

Kara Buckley spoke in favor of the mask policy, noting that 400 kids have died nationwide of the coronavirus in recent months, according to the CDC, while 2,000 more have been hospitalized.

"I really do think we are facing a grave situation with the delta variant in particular," she said. "And I think that situation necessitates the wearing of masks. I really think that when it comes to safety, it should not be a choice."

Heather Morrison works as a school administrator with students with disabilities. Many school activities are going back to normal, and she said "there is no reason" to have the mask policy because of the high vaccination rates in town.

Carlo Rosen, an emergency physician countered this opinion, said the committee should rely on the AAP that calls for universal mask wearing indoors.

Meghan Flaherty noted that many children in the district, including her own, are vulnerable to contracting the disease.

"We need to think about our whole community," she said, noting that students under 12 cannot be vaccinated yet.

Dr. Henry D'Angelo has been the school doctor for about 20 years. He recommended the wearing of masks for students, as did several medical professionals on the call.

"In medical circles, this is not a controversial point," he said. "I hate to say it, but this would clearly be the way to go, given the increasing rates with delta."

School committee members agreed that the mask policy should be kept in place for now to protect all students.

Member Anthony Mullin, who also serves on the COVID-19 Advisory Group, said the group recommended continuing the successful mediation strategies, including mask use for all grades at the start of the school year, because students under 12 are not eligible for the vaccine. Metrics should be measured to determine when the policy can be reversed.

Member Carol Lewis said she is in favor of universal masking.

"We have a responsibility as a school committee and as an administration to the entire district, to every kid in the district, to keep our kids medically safe," Lewis said. "We care about every kid in our district, including those with vulnerabilities.

"We're not tatooing the masks on," she added. "This is a temporary fix."