Parents Petition To Keep Universal Masking In Hamden Schools

HAMDEN, CT — With the state mask mandate in schools set to expire on Monday, a group of parents are calling on local leaders to keep universal masking in place in the Hamden school district.

Following Gov. Ned Lamont's recommendation, the state legislature voted to extend the statewide school mask mandate until Feb. 28. After that, local officials have the option to set mask policy.

An online petition created by Madeline Ravich at MoveOn.org is addressed to Mayor Lauren Garrett, Superintendent Jody Ian Goeler and the Hamden Board of Education requesting that the Hamden School District “maintain universal masking for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.”

The petition, which has garnered nearly 350 signatures as of Friday afternoon, says the Hamden has kept “students, educators, families, and the broader community safe” by following the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local agencies such as the Quinnipack Valley Health District to create COVID-19 policies.

“The CDC’s January 2022 guidance specifically recommends universal indoor masking by all students (ages 2 years and older), staff, teachers, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status,” organizers wrote in the petition. “The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) reinforced the CDC’s guidance, recommending vaccination for children over 5 and universal masking as two critical strategies to be used in tandem to ensure the safety of ALL children, including those especially vulnerable to infection. Furthermore, a January 2022 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that masking was associated with reduced school closures, which in turn resulted in adverse health symptoms such as distress and anxiety for students.

“We are all tired, but let’s hold on a little longer until we have established that we can keep our communities safe without requiring masks. Thank you for your consideration and for all you do to keep our children safe.”

The Hamden Board of Education is expected to decide on the masking policy at a special meeting on Monday, Feb. 28, according to the New Haven Register.

Read more at moveon.org here and the New Haven Register here.

A 10-year-old Hamden elementary student has launched a petition at Change.org calling for personal choice to wear masks in the school district. The petition has garnered more than 325 signatures as of Friday afternoon.

Read more at Change.org here.

See also: CDC Updates COVID Mask Guidelines: What It Means In Connecticut