Mask Wearing Update and Timeline

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Good morning, Watertown Community,

On Wednesday morning, the Governor and Commissioner of Education announced that they are lifting the state-wide mask mandate on Monday, February 28, 2022, and that local districts should make decisions about the next steps for mask-wearing within their respective school communities. We understand that there is both trepidation and eagerness to take this next step, and the District is considering the safest way to make this change.

At this time, District leadership is considering all of the necessary data and factors that will guide our local decision. These factors include:

• Vaccination rates

• Community cases over 14 days and positivity rates

• Number of students/staff with COVID at any given time

• Vulnerable student and staff populations

• Percentage of students and staff participating in the at-home testing program

In conjunction with the Watertown Health Department and in consideration of the CDC’s masking guidance, District leadership will determine its recommendation for the Watertown Public Schools in the coming days based on these criteria, which will be shared widely with the community prior to the March 7 School Committee meeting. On March 7, I will present the recommendations and the rationale for those recommendations to the School Committee for deliberation and discussion.

We are fortunate here in Watertown to have several strong COVID mitigation measures in place, including air purifiers in every room, district-wide pool testing, at-home antigen testing, and high numbers of fully vaccinated students and staff, all of which are important for ensuring the safety of our students and staff as we consider removing the mask mandate. Mask wearing will still be highly recommended and encouraged indoors for anyone who chooses to do so, even if masks are optional.

Thank you,

Dede Galdston

To all families and WPS staff:

At this time, 1,238 students and staff have signed up to participate in our FREE weekly at-home COVID antigen testing program-approximately 40% of the community. Our goal is to have at least 50% participate if not more. Please consider signing up for this free testing program. For those of you who have signed up for the program, your first two-week set of tests will be delivered on Wednesday, February 16, to your school. More detailed information will be sent to you on Tuesday.

If you choose to opt-in, you will receive one free COVID test each week for each of your children. In addition to this new free at-home antigen test option, we will continue with routine weekly COVID safety checks (pool testing) and symptomatic testing during the week.

This new at-home testing opportunity is voluntary and you will need to fill out an opt-in form FOR EACH OF YOUR CHILDREN to receive tests. We strongly encourage you to fill out the form as soon as possible to opt-in, in order to get tests to you prior to February vacation. If you have questions, please contact our WPS COVID Testing Technicians at covid_testing@watertown.k12.ma.us.