Fall River Public Schools mask mandate to be lifted sooner than expected

After last night’s meeting, Fall River Public Schools have revised the date that the mask mandate will be lifted.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley announced last month the statewide mask requirement for K-12 schools would be lifted on February 28.

With the lifting of the statewide mask requirement, masking became a community choice which led to the Fall River School Committee deciding on February 14th that the mask mandate would stay in place until March 14th barring a major spike.

At Monday’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent of Schools Maria Pontes stated that with the new information received, that she recommended the mask mandate be lifted at the end of the school day this Friday March 4th.

Pontes cited the new development that the CDC placed the area in a low-risk designation in addition to the school district receiving only one positive virus case from a staff member and none from students since school reconvened from vacation as reasoning for her decision.

Pontes went on to say that at risk individuals are still encouraged to wear masks and she wanted to use the remaining three days to message to families and students and to speak to children to be respectful of other students and adults who will still wear masks.

Everyone that enters a nurse’s office has to still wear a mask in addition to those who recently return to school with a negative test after previously testing positive and students who ride on SRTA buses. Masks are no longer required on school buses.

The School Committee passed the measure unanimously.