Boston Public Schools still mulling potential mask mandate following winter break
BOSTON – Boston Public School officials continue to weigh whether or not to require masks for students and staff when they return to class on Tuesday.
The district sent an end-of-year letter home with students at the start of winter break that included information about a potential two-week mandatory masking policy following the holiday travel season.
As of Thursday afternoon, no decision had been announced. It's unclear what the masking mandate would look like if implemented.
The Boston Teachers Union issued a statement on the potential mask mandate.
The BTU is committed to making informed decisions for the health and safety of our students, families and school staff. Our membership, led by our Nurse Faculty Senate, have passed a resolution to advocate for the district and city to have a plan and develop a comprehensive mitigation strategy for January in order to mitigate the spread of COVID and other life-threatening communicable diseases in our schools and in our communities. We are working with BPS to ensure that our community returns to school safely in the New Year.
Kate Droste is a mother of two and has a kindergartener in the Boston school system. She said she and her family are "totally for" a mask requirement.
Droste said her main concern was keeping in-person learning a viable option when her daughter returns to class.
"The socialization is the part that she missed the last few years and it has been magnificent for her so hopefully we do not have to go online," she said.
Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an infectious disease expert at Boston Medical Center, said now is the time to be vigilant.
"I think encouraging masking at a time when cases are high is a very reasonable approach," Assoumou said. "If you look at the weather forecast and rain is predicted, you leave the house with an umbrella. If you look at the different metrics and it looks like there is a lot of COVID in the community, just as we have right now, then there is a time we want to use more layers."
Assoumou said COVID rates and hospitalizations in Boston are considered high and have stabilized but are not decreasing.
"The way to think about it is COVID is not going anywhere, but are there times when we should temporarily be using more of these layers," Assoumou said.
A decision from Boston Public Schools is expected by the end of the week.