When the state mandate requiring masks be worn in school buildings expires on Friday, it will be up to parents in the Bristol Warren Regional School District as to whether or not they send their children to class the following Monday with the intention of wearing a mask throughout the school day.

“Masking will be recommended, but not required,” Superintendent Ana Riley told the school committee on Monday night in a return to in-person meetings at Mt. Hope High School. “It will be up to the parents to make that decision with their children.”

There may be some exceptions, such as during school bus rides to and from school, which is enforced by a federal mandate. Riley said that this matter was being taken up by the National Association of Superintendents to get clearer guidance on how school districts should proceed.

Riley clarified that the district was holding off on putting forth a more official Covid protocol update until they received further guidance from the state Department of Health (DoH). That guidance was expected to be released prior to February vacation, but is now anticipated to be handed down sometime this week. Riley said that would better inform the district to specifically address a variety of other in-school Covid-related situations, such as whether or not athletes will need to be continuously tested, and whether kids should still wear masks when in places where adequate distancing is not possible.

Referencing the Interim DoH Director, Dr. James McDonald, Riley said that the district would begin to take a more “endemic” approach to Covid, focusing on working with school nurses to monitor symptoms, test symptomatic students (when parental permission is granted), and carefully watch case numbers within individual schools and the community at large to prevent potential breakouts. She also said that preventative measures, such as air purification in each classroom and an emphasis on hand washing, will continue.

“Our numbers here in Bristol Warren have been very low, just prior to vacation,” Riley told the committee. “I’m hoping that vacation doesn’t amp up our numbers, but we’ll be monitoring that. We’ll be using the data to send information out to parents.”

Riley also said schools would be communicating and emphasizing with students the importance of respecting their fellow classmates’ and their individual decisions on whether or not to continue wearing masks.

“They may have someone at home that is immunocompromised or they may have younger siblings who aren’t eligible yet for vaccination. There may be reasons why students may be wearing masks and why others won’t, and we want to make sure we have that atmosphere of kindness and support across all of our schools.”

Schools to welcome back parent volunteers
Riley also noted that parents who wish to volunteer at a school will once again be able to do so. Volunteer forms are available on the district’s website, or can be retrieved via contacting the school you wish to volunteer at.