'When Is This Over With?' Masking In Fairfield Schools Still A Hot Topic

FAIRFIELD, CT — Fairfield parents at a recent town hall asked school board members a question that has been on the minds of many since March 2020: When will things get back to normal?

“The cure is the disease for mental health in our kids,” said Jim Kuczo, whose son, Kevin Kuczo, died by suicide in February 2021 after struggling with depression amid the early months of the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m up here because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.”

Kuczo cited school closures, activity cancellations and mask mandates as a source of anxiety and depression among students. According to an advisory from the U.S. surgeon general, emergency department visits in the country for suspected suicide attempts were up 51 percent for adolescent girls and 4 percent for adolescent boys in early 2021 compared to the same time period in 2019.

“Now, we’re left with the masks and I can only think about how it affects learning and talking and speaking,” Kuczo said, noting one child under 10 with the coronavirus has died in Connecticut since the start of the pandemic. “Let’s start living. When is this over with?”

While the majority of school board members indicated they would make face masks optional in school immediately if they had the authority, they also clarified that that power lies with Gov. Ned Lamont, whose executive order on masking is set to expire Feb. 15. Multiple board members said the widespread availability of vaccines affected their views on masking. Superintendent Mike Cummings has also said he is in favor of ending the requirement as soon as possible.

“It is unbelievable to me that we have allowed this to go on for as long as it has,” member Bonnie Rotelli said.

Hazel Foley, a Fairfield Warde High School senior, shared a different perspective.

“I can recognize the fact that this is not what is causing me so much distress,” she said, adding masks allow her to go to a concert, be in school full-time and get together with friends. “This is worth it to me.”

Rotelli responded that the situation might be different for students with speech and language impairments or mental health challenges.

“For a large portion of people this is a problem and it’s not being addressed,” she said. “We need compassion and empathy and we need to listen to these kids and listen to the parents.”

When Foley brought up the risk of mask choice to people who are immunocompromised, Rotelli replied that vaccination is available.

“Anyone who is immunocompromised has to make their own decision,” she said.

Marney White, a professor at Yale University’s School of Public Health and School of Medicine, argued masking remains necessary, Fairfield’s vaccination rate of about 78 percent of residents with at least one dose is not high enough and Fairfield Public Schools should do pool testing for the virus. White, who has an autoimmune disease requiring chemotherapy, did not attend Wednesday’s mask-optional event, instead communicating her message in a statement read by student River Peterson.

Fairfield Ludlowe High School junior Zara Smith noted there are changes the district can make to improve student mental health even before the mask mandate is lifted. She suggested holding mental health assemblies, incorporating mental health into health classes and making sure students who need a 504 Plan have them.

Parent Kristen Balavender requested signage about the pandemic be more muted in schools.

“It’s an echo chamber of fear,” she said. “We all know we’re in a pandemic, we don’t need 50 signs.”

Board member Crissy Kelly agreed.

“Wherever we can squeeze in normalcy, we should be doing it,” she said.

Another topic mentioned by numerous town hall attendees was the proposed African American, Black, Latino and Puerto Rican Studies class — which is up for a vote Tuesday — and whether it should count toward the district’s history graduation requirements. Multiple people also brought up the future of the math academy program, which is uncertain and has been discussed recently by the board. Additionally, participants asked the board about achievement gap data, redistricting plans, improper pronoun use by teachers and student social media consumption.