Salem Schools Mask Policy Up For Discussion Tuesday

SALEM, MA — The Salem School Committee will take up the topic of the district's mask policy during a special Council of the Whole meeting Tuesday night.

The School Committee agenda includes a discussion of the mask mandate in Salem Public Schools is the only item for the 6 p.m. meeting.

"There will be an opportunity for public comment, further discussion and a potential vote at the next regularly scheduled School Committee meeting on (Feb. 28)," Salem Superintendent Steve Zrike said in his weekly newsletter.

A link to watch the meeting can be found here.

The Salem School Committee voted to impose a mask order inside school buildings in early August prior to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary ordering them for all schools on Aug. 28.

Gov. Charlie Baker and DESE Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said on Wednesday that the statewide order will not be extended for a fourth time when it is set to expire on Feb. 28. Schools will then become mask-optional across the state regardless of vaccination levels and the vaccination status of individual students and staff.

Districts then have the option of extending their own mask orders on a district-by-district basis.

"Like anything we've done here in Salem — anything the School Committee has done — it will be a thoughtful discussion," Zrike said. "There's been a conversation. It's always considered (in consultation) with the Board of Health and the balance between the educational needs of students and safety needs of young people."

Beverly and Peabody are among the North Shore districts that have already said they will lift the masking requirement in schools. Danvers, Swampscott and Marblehead — which last week received a state waiver to make three of its schools mask-optional — will also discuss the updated policy at their respective next School Committee meetings this week.

(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.)