By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The plan for reopening Wakefield Public Schools in September involves bringing students back to school safely and keeping in-person learning going for as long as possible.
And that may well mean a return to wearing masks, School Superintendent Doug Lyons told the School Committee, which met last night without masks at the WCAT studio.
Lyons noted that the Wakefield Board of Health is meeting tonight to discuss the updated guidelines from the Department of Public Health and the CDC related to COVID and whether or not local guidelines need to be changed. That will be followed by a meeting of town officials on Friday morning to further discuss Wakefield’s options in light of any new guidelines.
Lyons said that after school officials hear from the Board of Health and other local health professionals, Lyons will meet with the School Committee’s Policy and Communications Subcommittee on Aug. 17. He will then present a comprehensive plan to the full School Committee for a vote at its Aug. 24 meeting.
Lyons acknowledged that the plan will likely incorporate rules requiring wearing masks in school, based on the feedback of local health officials. Whatever plan is approved by the School Committee on Aug. 24 will be in effect at the start of the school year.
Lyons said that while some school districts are returning to in-person teaching in September under the same modified schedules that that were used last spring, Wakefield is trying to create school schedules that feel more like the pre-COVID schedules.
Lyons noted that schools will be returning to normal transportation schedules in the fall and stressed that federal law still requires anyone on a school bus to wear a mask.
The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has yet to issue guidance to school districts regarding reopening schools in the fall. DESE will be hosting a webinar this week on a new rapid COVID testing model that could be used in schools.
School Committee member Ami Wall asked Lyons how many cases of COVID there were during this year’s summer school program, where masks were not required.
Lyons admitted that there were no cases.
Wall then asked why masks would be required when school opens in a few weeks.
Lyons maintained that it was because of the much greater size of the population: 300-500 summer school students vs. 3,500 students plus 600 faculty and staff returning in the fall. Lyons also noted that in light of breakthrough variants, a few local businesses have reinstated mask requirements.
Committee member Amy Leeman also questioned a possible mask requirement considering that most younger kids are coming from pre-schools where masks were not required. She also questioned why kids participating in an accelerated kindergarten program this summer have to be masked.
Lyons admitted that it was mostly to get the younger kids accustomed to wearing masks, given the likelihood that masks will be required when school starts.
Lyons reminded the School Committee that remote learning will not be an option this year, based on rules issued by the Department of Education. He did say that if circumstances force a class or an entire school to be closed, DESE would evaluate such cases on an individual basis.
Assistant Superintendent Kara Mauro pointed out that even if masks are required, the schools are still progressing toward normalcy in other ways by returning to regular class sizes and schedules.
School Committee member Mike Boudreau asked about athletics and other extracurricular activities.
Lyons observed that summer band camp is now practicing outside and promised more information soon on sports and other extracurricular programs.
Boudreau noted that COVID is never going to go away entirely, and suggested that to wait for it to be completely gone before returning to normal will be a long wait.
“At some point, we’re going to have to take an acceptable risk,” he said.