Fate of masks in Grafton schools will be decided February 28

The School Committee has scheduled a special meeting on February 28 to discuss and vote upon the current mask mandate in the Grafton schools.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education announced last week that it will no longer, as of February 28, require the wearing of masks in schools across the Commonwealth. The announcement came the day after the School Committee set March 5, their next meeting on the calendar, as the day they would discuss masking in Grafton schools.

Prior to the surge of the Omicon variant of COVID-19 back in December, DESE had briefly lifted mandates in towns where the vaccination rates at high schools and middle schools exceeded 80 percent. Grafton schools did not qualify at the time.

“As soon as the announcement was made, we got to work trying to schedule a meeting  — and no we had no prior notice the decision was coming, or we would have dealt with it at our meeting the night before,” School Committee Chair Amy Marr said.

Grafton High now has 81 percent of students and staff vaccinated while the middle school has 78 percent. In the elementary schools, rates have steadily rose as vaccines for younger children rolled out: 45 percent for Millbury Street, 48 percent for North Street, 34 percent for North Grafton and 49 percent for South Grafton.

Covid cases have considerably dropped in the past few weeks. Grafton’s indoor mask mandate in public spaces is lifted as of Friday, February 18, with the Board of Health continuing to recommend masking in crowded indoor areas.

The School Committee will vote on February 28, Conference Room A in the Municipal Center, 7 p.m. Limited seating is available, but public comment will be allowed at the start of the meeting. It can also be viewed over Zoom. Masks continue to be required inside the Municipal Center.

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