Dueling petitions question whether masks should be mandatory or optional in Grafton schools

A pair of petitions with opposing views on COVID-19 are attempting to take the public pulse on back-to-school protocol: Should Grafton students be required to wear masks during the school day?

The spread of the Delta variant of Covid over the summer is once again filling hospitals with patients, many of whom picked up the virus as a souvenir while vacationing.

The CDC is now advising that masks be worn indoors in public places and cautioning that even those who are vaccinated are at-risk from the highly infectious Delta. The Municipal Center last week mandated masking while in the building. 

“I know that masks are an issue already, as we’ve been hearing from parents for a few weeks now,” said Amy Marr, School Committee chair.  “The policy on the books says masks are required and that was set by the committee last August.  We have three weeks until the start of school and a lot can change in that time.”

On the pro side are parents Liora Bram and Heather Nadeau, who co-chair the Grafton Special Education Advisory Committee. While the petition was not submitted as a SEPAC measure, the pair have heard from multiple parents concerned about their children returning to school.

“Mostly, we want to counter the loud anti-mask people and let school committee members know that the majority of parents are OK with masks,” Bram said.

Nancie Picconi is listed as the creator of a change.org petition requesting that masks be optional for Grafton school students and staff.

“This petition was not created to debate mask wearing or produce statistics supporting the position of mask removal, but to allow parents, guardians, and staff to be eligible to make their own decision for their family,” the petition reads.

Picconi did not return a message requesting comment.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced at the end of July that is recommending masks for only unvaccinated students in kindergarten through Grade 6, unvaccinated students in Grades 7 and above, and all unvaccinated school staff. 

The DESE is requiring all districts and schools to be in-person, full-time, five days a week this fall.

Bram said her son’s experience during summer school has her very concerned about the start of the school year. While her son, who has Down syndrome, went to school wearing a mask, it did not stay on.

“I learned that teachers were putting it away because it wasn’t required. They can’t keep track of which families want their kids to be masked,” Bram said. 

“They can’t/shouldn’t be responsible for keeping individual kids masked,” she added. “And an elementary school, you can’t expect kids to be diligent about their own masks even if you want them to be.”

As of Sunday night, the pro-mask petition had close to 200 signatures. The anti-mask petition, which was publicized Sunday, had close to 40 signatures.

The School Committee next meets on August 24. The first day of school is August 31.

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