LYNN — Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler plans to recommend that the School Committee vote to approve a mandate that would require universal masking for all students and staff when the school year begins this fall.
In a letter to families posted on social media Monday, Tutwiler said masks would be required regardless of vaccination status.
The School Committee will discuss the superintendent’s recommendation for masks during a special committee meeting on Aug 19.
The district is still planning to return to full-time, in-person classes at all levels; Tutwiler plans to recommend mask wearing until Dec. 31, when the district will reassess COVID-19 safety precautions in schools.
On July 30, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released a set of recommendations for all school districts, focusing on health and safety protocols, which came in the form of suggestions, not mandates.
Tutwiler said school districts can make decisions based on local COVID-19 data and other circumstances, explaining that he is following the advice of the city’s health director, Michele Desmarais, and other local medical authorities. He said his recommendation is based on the increase in positive COVID-19 cases involving the Delta variant; the uncertainty around the impact of the Delta variant, particularly on young children; current vaccination rates among students ages 12-19; and the inability to maintain physical distance in district schools with all students attending in person.
In addition, Tutwiler cited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, which now calls for mask wearing in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status, in substantial or high coronavirus transmission communities — which currently includes Essex County.
“We are excited to welcome our beloved students back beginning Sept. 7 and very much look forward to a fulfilling year together,” Tutwiler wrote in the letter. “The extent to which we stay together and in communication will only make that goal more possible.”
Tutwiler has planned a virtual Town Hall for the entire Lynn Public Schools community on Monday, Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. A link to the session will be sent the morning of the forum. At this online event, Tutwiler will communicate specifics around the district’s reopening plans.
“This session is also an opportunity for you to share concerns and raise questions,” Tutwiler said.
Tutwiler invites people to submit their concerns and questions in advance to [email protected].
“Doing so will allow us to make the presentation more useful for you,” Tutwiler said.
The plans for the 2021-22 school year can be found online at www.lynnschools.org/documents/district/calendar.
