Masking rules should be up to schools, says CT Gov. Ned Lamont. Where does Norwich stand?

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced his recommendation earlier this month that as of Feb. 28 local school districts should make their own decisions on masking requirements for students and staff.

“Connecticut is seeing a dramatic decline in cases caused by the Omicron variant, and children over the age of 5 have had the ability to get vaccinated for more than three months now,” Lamont said in a statement Feb. 7.  “With this in mind, I think we are in a good position to phase out the requirement that masks be worn in all schools statewide and shift the determination on whether to require this to the local level.”

The state has been under a mask mandate - one of Lamont's many pandemic-related emergency powers that have since been whittled to 11 - set to expire Feb. 15. The state Senate is expected to vote on a bill Monday, Feb. 14, approved by the House Thursday, that would extend the life of those powers. The House bill would also give the state legislature the option to continue mask mandates to the end of June, should the pandemic worsen.

Will Norwich students wear masks?

Whether or not students will continue to wear masks at Norwich Public Schools and Norwich Free Academy remains unclear. Spokespeople for two districts say it's not yet time to make a decision.

“Given that the governor’s decision is less than 24 hours old, we will not make a definitive announcement until our team has had the opportunity to fully discuss all scenarios and factors that would inform such an important decision involving the safety of our students, faculty and staff,” Norwich Free Academy spokesperson Michael O’Farrell said in a statement shortly after the governor's announcement.

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Norwich Public Schools Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow at the same time signaled that any decision on masking requirements would need to be made by the school district’s Board of Education.

“I think it is important to note that we haven’t received any information from the local or state health director yet …you would need some guidance that would lead you to, under what conditions would you as a body, be in favor of continuing the mask mandates,” Stringfellow told the Board of Education at their last meeting, on Feb. 8.

Norwich Board of Education Chair Robert Aldi presided over a board motion to take up the matter at a special meeting, though the exact date is not certain. Board members agreed to hold a meeting within three days of a state decision on whether to extend Lamont's emergency powers, including the mask requirements.

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“This is certainly a hot topic, everyone knows that, so until we have more definitive information not only from the [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], but from the state government and our own Uncas Health District, we will proceed as usual until as such time a special meeting is held,” Aldi said.

The Board of Education Chair is an outlier when it comes to mask-wearing at board meetings, telling The Bulletin he does not wear one because he finds it difficult to speak.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.