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Date: 2/24/2022
LONGMEADOW – The Longmeadow School Committee met to discuss COVID-19 test kits and masks in schools at their Feb. 15 meeting.
According to Superintendent Martin O’Shea, Longmeadow High School has officially started their mask-optional approach. He said that he visited the school to discuss how this change has been going with both students and staff.
“It seems to be going well,” said O’Shea. “Students are handling it very, very well. Probably about 25 or 20 percent of our students are choosing to remain masked.”
At the previous School Committee meeting, members made the decision to allow for the mask-optional approach in K-8 schools beginning March 3. O’Shea said that other districts in the area seem to be following this as well.
“It appears that most surrounding districts are following suit. We had made the decision as a group prior to DESE [Department of Elementary and Secondary Education] lifting the state-wide mask mandate that they had,” said O’Shea. “Besides some of the larger urban districts, it seems that most are making their way toward a mask-optional approach.”
With the new policy, masks will still be required on school buses and in school on days six through 10 following a COVID-19 positive event.
O’Shea said that the distribution of COVID-19 home test kits has been successful so far.
Over 2,200 members of the Longmeadow Public School Community have now opted in to receive these kits. He said that this number is currently higher than any surrounding district to his knowledge.
The next round of test kits was distributed to students on Feb. 17 before school vacation began. O’Shea said that this will ensure that they can test before returning to school after the break.
The next School Committee meeting is set for March 3.
Those interested in viewing the meeting in its entirety are encouraged to visit the LongmeadowTV YouTube page.