Danvers Schools To Go Mask-Optional In 2 Weeks

DANVERS, MA — For the first time in nearly two years of the COVID=19 pandemic, Danvers Public Schools students and staff will have the option of whether or not to wear masks when they come to school in two weeks.

The Danvers School Committee backed the recommendation of co-acting Superintendents Mary Wermers and Keith Taverna that the district should not extend a mask order of its own when the statewide mandate expires on Feb. 28.

Taverna said the district will still strongly urge masking for students and staff who return from a positive case on days 6 through 10 after symptoms and will work to help ensure that neither those who still opt to wear masks nor those who don't are stigmatized for their choices.

"We do want to highlight that masks are still allowed for families who choose to wear them and for children and staff who choose to wear them," Taverna said. "We will be working really hard on creating a culture where that individual choice is respected. We are asking all of our families to support us in that work and talking to their children (about that).

"This is a family choice. That's what people have been advocating from the beginning. That they want their individual families to make that decision. We are agreeing that now is the time for that choice to be made. But they also must support families and staff members who are choosing to still wear a mask."

The announcement was met with a loud round of applause from many of those attending the meeting.

"I am thrilled that my daughters are going to be able to go to school for the first time and have a normal day," School Committee member Alice Campbell said. "We have been waiting for such a long time for this. I know it was not our own (Danvers) mandate. It was the state government. It's just going to be a sigh of relief on Feb. 28.

"If I drop them off at school that day — which I probably will because I want to see them walk inside without masks on — I will be happy and thrilled."

Gov. Charlie Baker and DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley last week said the statewide mask order for students and staff will not be extended a fourth time because of high vaccination rates across the state, rapidly dropping coronavirus cases and hospitalizations from the winter omicron surge, and out of a desire to return to "the familiar and normal aspects of school life" nearly two years after the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

Under the new guidelines, all students and staff will have the option to mask regardless of school vaccination rate and individual vaccination status.

"We are not looking to draw that (vaccination) distinction between kids in the school buildings," Taverna said. "I think it's really important to be inclusive and that we don't go down that road on the unvaccinated portion if we go this route to make it optional."

Students will need to continue to wear masks on all school transportation — including to and from school, on school field trips and to and from sporting events — per federal regulations.

Students and staff must also continue to wear masks whenever inside a nurse's or health office in a school building.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)