Last week, both the Acton and Boxborough Boards of Health voted to lift community-wide mask requirements. Based on these votes and the prior DESE and DPH changes to school mask requirements, we have returned from break with masks being optional inside of our schools. Some important expectations to our mask optional policy include:
--Based on changes to federal requirements issued last week, masks are now optional on our yellow school buses. Case transportation will continue to have a mask requirement on their school buses and school transportation until further notice.
--Masks will be required inside our school health offices per state requirement.
--All preschool classrooms will continue to require masks for students and staff.
--We continue to strongly recommend, but will not require, that individuals who are not vaccinated remain masked indoors.
--Students or staff returning to school after testing positive for Covid are required to wear a mask at all times in the school building for five days after their return.
--We continue to recommend that all eligible individuals receive booster shots.
Mask shaming, bullying or harassment will not be tolerated in any of our schools. This means that no individuals, staff or student, should feel pressured to either wear or remove a mask based on their personal choice. Prior to break, all schools worked with staff and students to proactively and directly address the issue of mask shaming with students and staff in a developmentally-appropriate way. Building leaders and educators at all schools will reinforce this message with our students when we return from break.