North Shore School Mask-Optional Shifts May Now Extend To Buses

PEABODY, MA —When several North Shore school districts opted to follow new state guidelines and make masks optional inside school buildings for the first time in nearly two years as of Monday, it came with the caveat that a federal order remained in place for all school transportation.

That meant bus and van trips to and from school, as well as field trips and those for sports teams playing road games, would still require everyone to mask up at all times.

But, along with making many other mask guidance changes on Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted the mask mandate for K-12 transportation.

While that late notification may not have left time for all districts to revise school bus policy in time for the return from vacation three days later, Peabody Superintendent Josh Vadala said on Sunday that his district will follow suit and lift its transportation order as well.

"As we transition to an optional mask-wearing environment please treat others with dignity and respect as we support the individual decisions of all members of our school community," Vadala said.

Peabody was the first North Shore district to make schools mask-optional as of Monday when it voted preemptively to lift the local restriction if the statewide order was not extended for the fourth time.

Beverly, Danvers and Marblehead will also go mask-optional as of Monday.

Swampscott Public Schools will lift all other coronavirus mitigation measures as of Monday but will keep the mask order in place until March 14.

The school building mask order is also still in effect in Salem, where the School Committee will meet Monday night for a discussion and possible vote on that district's order that was put in place prior to the statewide mandate.

Masks are still required to be worn in health offices in all school districts.

(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.)