By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — In addition to requiring masks for all students and staff in Wakefield Public Schools per state mandate and local policy, other COVID-related rules and protocols will be in effect when local schools reopen on Sept. 9.
Superintendent Doug Lyons and his staff outlined the “reopening plan” at this week’s School Committee meeting.
Lyons sat that the Delta variant was “a game-changer for us,” calling it “more contagious” than the original COVID virus.
He said that the School Department has worked with the local Board of Health and has referenced CDC guidance in formulating the reopening plan. He said that feedback from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and other school districts also informed the plan.
Regarding social distancing, Lyons noted that learning is by it’s nature a social activity. He said that DESE was not requiring social distancing this year, but distancing was recommended whenever possible.
The state is allowing students to lower their masks while eating in the cafeteria, Lyons said.
The superintendent asked Gavin School Nurse Keri Melanson to review the isolation, quarantine and testing protocols for symptomatic, asympomatic, vaccinated and unvaccinated students. Lyons said that those protocols were from the state and could be found on DESE’s web site.
Melanson said that symptomatic students or students that were in contact with a sick student would only be tested with parental permission. She added that vaccination status would be learned by asking parents. She said that asking about a student’s vaccination status was not a violation of HIPPA medical privacy laws.
School Committee member Amy Leeman expressed concern about over-testing of kids during the winter months when kids may be exhibiting symptoms of a variety of seasonal illnesses unrelated to COVID.
Estelle Burdick, director of the Wakefield Academy before and after-school praogram, said that the program would be returning to full-capacity in the fall and would be following all state and local guidelines.
Lyons said that the Middlesex League was expected to issue a directive later this week related to athletics. He anticipated that those rules would require athletes and spectators at indoor sporting events event to wear masks.
It was noted that school transportation will be fully back in the fall, but federal mandates still require everyone to be masked while on a school bus.
School Facilities Director Tim O’Brien reviewed the cleaning protocols that will be in effect when school resumes. He said that those will be similar to last year. All hard surfaces will be cleaned regularly and electrostatic spraying will also be deployed. He said that heating and ventilation systems were tuned up over the summer and HEPA filters have been installed where appropriate.
