16 • COMMUNITY ADVOCATE • Friday, March 11, 2022
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Mask mandate lifted for Shrewsbury schools By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
School Committee votes The Board of Health and School Committee previously discussed lifting these mask mandates last month. However, at that time, they
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Key metrics show positive signs Superintendent Joseph Sawyer specifically reported a reduction in cases prior to that vote. There were 11 cases among students and staff between Feb. 26 and March 2. In comparison, there were 23 cases in the week before the February vacation. There were five cases reported during vacation.
Putting the
reported, was assessed to be at medium risk. These metrics “signal that optional masking seems highly unlikely to create a significant risk of COVID-19 transmission in our Students wore masks at the new Beal Elementary schools,” Sawyer School in Shrewsbury last fall. said. “I do certainly want to mention that we know The Centers for Disease Conthat this is not without risk,” trol and Prevention has updated Sawyer continued. “There’s alits guidance regarding masking ways a level of risk around comin schools since that meeting in municable disease, and we don’t February when leaders opted know exactly, of course, how to delay their decision, Sawyer things will go when it comes to said. whether it’s COVID or anything That guidance recommendelse in terms of spread.” ed that masks be optional in Masks will still be required in schools unless a school is in a nurses offices and for five days location deemed as high risk. after people return from isolaThe CDC also recommends tion due to COVID-19. masks in districts with strained health care resources. District discusses process Worcester County, Sawyer of reimplementing mask mandate, if needed In terms of reimplementing the mandate in the future, the school district recommended a
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SHREWSBURY - Masks are no longer be required in Shrewsbury schools. This comes after a pair of votes by the Board of Health on March 4 and by the School Committee on March 2 to rescind their mask mandates. The change goes into effect immediately. Board of Health member George Abraham said he reviewed recent data, including rates of positive COVID-19 cases and wastewater sampling information. “Both of them show consistently low levels with no evidence of surges,” he said.
opted to wait to make a decision until after the recent February vacation, noting previous spikes in cases following past vacation weeks. “I am glad that this committee had waited, given our history of seeing spikes in cases after vacations,” School Committee member Jason Palitsch said. “Having said that, I am also glad that we did not see a spike in cases after February break.” The School Committee voted unanimously to lift the mandate earlier last week.
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Westborough receives grant for LED lights at Mill Pond School By Laura Hayes Senior Community Reporter
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policy that would have Sawyer monitor any communications about public health. Similar to a plan laid out by the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, Shrewsbury plans to monitor student attendance as a barometer of COVID-19’s presence in schools. If attendance drops below an average of 92% for the district or at a school over 10 days, Sawyer will consult with the district’s and local medical professionals. If there are concerns, he would be able to implement a temporary mask requirement until the School Committee can convene and vote. “It’s going to be extremely important that if and when masking becomes optional for students and staff in our schools, that our district and our school leaders convey that everyone is expected to respect the choices that are made by each individual regarding whether to wear a mask at school,” Sawyer said. The School Committee unanimously approved these requirements.
WESTBOROUGH - The Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Division has awarded Westborough a $200,000 grant for an LED lighting program at Mill Pond Elementary School. Westborough Superintendent Amber Bock announced the award during a Feb. 16 School Committee meeting. “I’m very excited…” Bock said. “I think it’s the start of a really strong collaboration with the town on getting these initiatives in place.” The Green Communities Division provides support, including through grants, to help municipalities reduce their energy use and costs through clean energy projects like this Mill Pond project, according to its website. Westborough is one of the communities in the state that has been designated as a green
community. According to Green Community Division’s website, the project will fund energy conservation measures such as LED lighting. Westborough has received other grants in the past, most recently getting $146,514 in 2020 for LED lighting and the purchase of a hybrid vehicle. Bock said that the group Sustainable Westborough helped begin the grant process and handed off this latest application to the district. “This is a very vibrant town,” Bock said. “This is a town where we’re ahead of the curves on a lot of this and we’re in the fold with some very high-performing communities to be caring about the environment, the world, the direction of our work and being willing to do the big planning that it takes to make some of these changes.” Bock said the project is moving forward to go out to bid.
