Natick Superintendent Sees 'Flex Mask Culture' In District Future

NATICK, MA — Natick's town-wide mask mandate will end on Feb. 28 following a Board of Health vote this week. And it's possible the school district's mandate will follow shortly behind.

Last week, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) said it would end its blanket mask mandate for all public school son Feb. 28, handing the decision about masks to individual school districts.

The same day as DESE's announcement, Natick Public Schools Superintendent Anna Nolin said the district would collaborate with local health officials about masks in schools.

"We will continue to adapt and respond to ensure safe and healthy schools in Natick. Once we collaborate with our local board of health, we will come back to the community about next steps and timelines," she said on Feb. 9.

On Tuesday, the Board of Health voted to let the town's new mask mandate — which went into effect on Jan. 17 — expire on Feb. 28 as planned.

In an update to parents on Friday, Nolin said the district would discuss the mask mandate at the Feb. 28 meeting. Nolin hinted the district would likely end the mask mandate in favor of a "flex mask culture."

"Should the mask mandate be lifted, the school staff will not be keeping track of which parents and children prefer masking and which do not. Families will need to guide their children," she said in the Feb. 11 update.

Some school committees in Massachusetts have already voted whether to end mask policies on Feb. 28. Larger districts like Boston and Salem will keep mandates in place, while smaller districts like Danvers and Falmouth have decided to go mask-optional.

DESE has also been allowing schools with vaccine rates above 80 percent to remove mask mandates. Local schools like Milford High School, Hopkinton High School and Dover-Sherborn Regional are already mask-optional under that policy.