LYNNFIELD — To mask or not to mask?
That is the question for residents now that they will be able to make their own decisions when it comes to wearing facial coverings in public-school buildings.
The School Committee unanimously voted Tuesday to accept a state waiver for Lynnfield High School to be mask-optional starting Wednesday. The committee also voted unanimously to support Superintendent of Schools Kristen Vogel’s decision to align the district with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) decision that it will not renew the state mask mandate when it expires on Feb. 28.
“I am overjoyed that we will see students’ expressions and smiles again,” said School Committee Vice Chair Stacy Dahlstedt. “The landscape has changed and I am thrilled we are here.”
The news was met with cautious optimism at Lynnfield High on Wednesday morning, with some students continuing to wear masks.
Junior Sumaedha Konduri said she plans to continue to mask up at least until winter is over.
“We’ve already seen rising COVID cases in Lynnfield and the schools specifically with people getting sick,” she said. “Especially with college visits coming up, you really have to be careful about getting sick, as that could really prevent you from going places. Until fewer people are getting sick and more people are getting vaccinations, I’ll keep my mask on. It’s become the new normal, and especially right before break, so that’s just my thing.”
Senior Mekhi Peters said that, as an athlete, he is glad that masks are no longer mandatory, but may still wear one from time to time.
“We had to wear masks during sports and stuff like that and it was really hard for me to adjust. It felt like my breathing was hard,” he said. “I thought that if I didn’t wear it for a couple of days I could adjust but I’ll probably still wear it just like today and tomorrow, but I’m trying to give myself a break from it. They are annoying to wear.”
The mood wasn’t nearly as pleasant during the public-participation portion of Tuesday’s meeting. Lynnfield resident Suzeanne Guertin had little to say about the actual items on the agenda, instead choosing to revisit the past and accuse the committee of “using our children as pawns to receive federal money (and) selling our children’s well-beings for money.”
She said that mandates “are un-American and unconstitutional” and questioned why the district encouraged people to get vaccinated.
“Why does this committee continue to push?” she asked, answering her own question with, “it’s the money” (received from the federal government under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund). She referred to the town’s Aug. 18 joint meeting when the Select Board, Board of Health and School Committee voted to impose a mask mandate in municipal buildings as “a complete sham” and held only for “political reasons… to patronize people that had the audacity to ask questions.”
While public participation was limited to three minutes per speaker, Guertin went on for nearly eight minutes. On three occasions, Committee Chair Rich Sjoberg reminded her of the time limit. Nonetheless, Guertin continued to speak.
Committee members Phil McQueen, Jamie Hayman and Kate DePrizio expressed concerns that while some families may be relieved, others fear added anxiety.
“There is a large, more quiet contingent that will be more anxious about this. This is real; we need to acknowledge that element,” Hayman said.
“We need to respect families who continue to wear masks and respect people’s personal private decisions,” said McQueen.
“Some are relieved, some are anxious,” DePrizio said. “We need to be inclusive of those who feel unsure.”
Vogel said while she feels good about the district’s high vaccination rates, the district needs to continue tracking cases, continue home testing and conduct targeted testing if there are cluster concerns; she feels that it is in the best interests of all to go mask optional.
The committee tied up loose ends with a third vote to amend the district’s EBCFA face-covering policy to comply with applicable state, local and federal regulations.
“This meeting’s votes were about moving forward,” said Sjoberg.
Item photographer Jakob Menendez contributed to this story.
