Branford Public Schools (BPS) will not require facial masks in school buildings after the state's mask mandate ends on Feb. 28.

The end of the mask mandate was confirmed during a Feb. 23 meeting discussion among the full Board of Education (BOE); but was not the subject of a vote at the Feb. 23 meeting and followed up on extensive input gathered by the BOE earlier this month; including a Feb. 16 public hearing. In taking no action on the matter, the requirement of wearing masks in school buildings ends when the state mandate ends on Feb. 28. 

In a related issue at its Feb. 23 full board meeting, the BOE approved a temporary Covid health and safety protocol policy allowing the district's administration the flexibility respond to emerging situations, if required, in order to give students the best opportunities to continue in-person learning. The temporary policy was accepted by a majority voice vote of the board, with 2 opposed and no abstentions.

While all school district administrations, led by the superintendent of schools, have the operational authority to take needed actions to ensure the health and safety of students, the BOE is the policy-making body for the town's public schools. Specifically, the temporary policy "Health and Safety Protocols Related the Covid 19," authorizes and directs BPS administration to develop health and safety protocols related to COVID consistent with all laws, regulations and current COVID guidance.

Language in the temporary policy was largely in line with a previous temporary Covid protocol policy approved by the BOE through Dec. 31, 2021, in line with the BOE's Aug. 2021 decision to have students and staff wearing facial masks in buildings beyond the September, 2021 date which had been earlier mandated by the state. The BOE's temporary policy was not further revised or continued after the state's extension of mandates came on line in late 2021 with an effective date through Feb. 28, 2022.

The temporary policy approved by the BOE was reviewed by the BOE's legal counsel, Shipman & Goodwin LLP (Hartford).  On Feb. 23, members of the BOE made one adjustment to the proposed temporary policy, striking the sentence which read "...the Safety Protocols may address, without limitation, circumstances in which individuals entering a school building, a Board facility and/or a Board transportation vehicle may be required to wear an appropriate face covering."

Given that the district administration already has the ability to respond to emergent needs operationally; ahead of the full board vote on Feb. 23, BOE Policy Committee chairman Dr. Tim Raynor pushed for time to bring the proposed temporary policy before the committee for a full first reading and review, beginning at its March 9 meeting.  BOE member Laura Troidle said she also had concerns about voting on a temporary policy that was being seen for the first time at the Feb. 23 board meeting, especially when the anticipated action many may have been expecting the BOE to take that night was a vote regarding facial masks, specifically.

BOE chair Peter Berdon said he felt the temporary policy should be in place so as not to have any gaps in policy, which could create a liabilty for the board. He also noted the BOE policy's committee will still have the ability to fully review the temporary policy language and make changes and recommendations to the full board for a vote at a future BOE meeting.

"If the policy committee decides something else is appropriate [[it] can amend language for the full board," said Berdon.

Berdon also noted it was a credit to the board that it took the time to deliberate on the options facing the district following the end of the state mask mandate, by providing a period for the BOE and the public to have open discussion, dialogue and transparency and receiving input gathered by BPS from its school communities.

As previously reported, the BOE held a facial mask mandate public hearing as part of its Feb. 16 meeting, as well as gathering data from school medical and health department officials, parent survey responses and receipt of communications including an open email box. The BOE then continued its Feb. 16 meeting to Feb. 23.