Newton School Committee To Vote On Coronavirus Rules Next Week

NEWTON, MA — The Newton School Committee is set to vote on a list of COVID-19 recommendations outlined by the district's Medical Advisory Group at a special meeting on Tuesday, August 24.

At Monday night's School Committee meeting, the medical advisors released a list of their recommendations for the upcoming school year, including a mask mandate, vaccinations for all eligible students and staff, and routine COVID-19 testing.

The School Committee members will now decide exactly which rules and guidelines are feasible and necessary in Newton Public Schools as students return to full in-person learning on September 9.

"We have new challenges starting the year and we also have great opportunities starting the new year," said Superintendent David Fleishman.

Two members of the Medical Advisory Group, Dr. Brenda Anders Pring and Dr. Dori Zaeznik, discussed their recommendations and some of the questions still up for debate, including whether vaccine and testing mandates are legally possible, how students will remain distanced during lunch periods, and what safety protocols will be required for extracurricular activities.

"It's not a one size fits all, so each school will have to determine what is feasible for them," said Zaeznik.

As far as distanced and hybrid learning options go, Fleishman said this year's goal is to get as many students back in the classroom as possible and, according to his conversations with state officials, it doesn't seem that other learning models will be approved at this time.

"As of now, they are not considering that in any way, shape, or form," he said.

According to the city's medical advisors, students are doing well with vaccinations overall, but there is some room for improvement. As of this week, the highest percentage of vaccinations is in 12th grade with 82.4% of students vaccinated and the lowest percentage is in 7th grade with 64.8% vaccinated.

At the meeting, School Committee members pushed for vaccination and testing data to be made readily available to the school community and asked for more information about whether targeted on-site vaccinations will be an option for eligible students in Newton.

"This isn't an individual choice, this is a collective effort here around keeping the community safe," said School Committee Chair Ruth Goldman.

The School Committee will finalize a draft of the Back to School Health and Safety Plan by Wednesday, August 18 and host a webinar for families to ask questions on Wednesday, August 25.