February 18, 2022
Dear Milford Public Schools Staff, Parents, and Guardians,
Earlier this week, the Connecticut General Assembly voted to have the mask requirement currently in place in all public schools expire as of February 28, 2022. As of that date, the authority to make decisions about masking requirements in schools will transfer to each local public school district. It is our belief that it is time to make mask-wearing optional in our schools for all PK - 12 students and staff beginning Monday, February 28, 2022. Due to a federal order which covers public transportation, masks will continue to be required on school buses and vans. This includes transportation to/from athletic events.
Since the very beginning of the pandemic in 2020, we have consistently made decisions relating to school operation based on the same set of five key indicators: 1-health metrics, 2-social/emotional needs, 3-academic priorities, 4-availability of resources, and 5-human resources. The use of these factors have been effective in the past and we will continue to keep them as our cornerstones for decision-making as we go forward.
For nearly two years, we have closely monitored our school and community transmission rates, vaccination coverage rates, test positivity, and several other factors regularly reported by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Although we observed significant spikes in positive COVID-19 cases during the holiday season, these numbers have dropped substantially. We are greatly encouraged by this trend and optimistic that this downward pattern will continue.
As stated in the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE) guidance received today, given the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, at-home COVID-19 testing, and our collective experience mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in our schools over the last two years, our communities can begin to transition the management of COVID-19 in schools from a pandemic emergency response model toward a different model. We will align with the public health approach to routine management and control of respiratory viral diseases.
Transition to a routine disease prevention model for COVID-19 prevention includes:
• Continuing to engage in daily health screening and self-monitoring of symptoms.
• Encouraging COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible students and staff, including booster vaccine doses when appropriate.
• Supporting students and staff who choose to continue wearing a mask even when school policies do not require their use.
• Following isolation guidelines for students and staff who have symptoms associated with, or have tested positive for, COVID-19.
• Recommending COVID-19 transmission prevention strategies, including testing and masking for students and staff, following illness or exposures to COVID-19 cases.
• Continuing to report identified cases to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
• Being prepared to respond quickly to rapid increases in cases or clusters of cases in schools (including increases in absenteeism due to respiratory illness) as described later in this letter.
• Continuing to follow existing quarantine guidance for students and staff who have been notified of certain higher-risk close contact exposures (e.g., household exposures, crowded social gatherings).
While the decision to wear a mask in school will be optional as of February 28th, please know there are many other school health and safety practices that will continue to be in place for now as they have been important strategies in mitigating COVID-19 transmission. As we move forward, we will continue to revisit all mitigating strategies and make revisions to our current protocols as necessary and appropriate. You can anticipate further communication on revised protocols throughout the spring.
As per CSDE guidance, we will use the following framework of considerations when making decisions about further COVID-19 practices and mitigation strategies, in consultation with the Milford Health Department and our Medical Advisor.
1. What does the available data indicate regarding the community and district prevalence and transmission of COVID-19?
2. What is the risk tolerance for the possibility of increasing case numbers and necessary quarantine and isolation in your students and staff?
3. What is the current COVID-19 vaccination status of students and staff within individual schools and across the district, and what is the current COVID-19 vaccine coverage for the surrounding community?
4. What additional planning is necessary to address the needs of students and staff who may be at greater risk for adverse health outcomes?
5. What additional guidance is necessary to ensure support for students and staff who may wish to continue mask wearing?
6. What process needs to be in place for continuous risk assessment and decision-making regarding COVID-19 policies and mitigation strategies (including mask use) going forward?
7. What advanced contingency planning needs to occur to prepare for potential surges and/or outbreaks?
We understand that this change will impact students, staff and families differently. We want to highlight for all the environment of mutual respect and care we have built in our schools and encourage everyone to support individual decisions on mask wearing–whether individuals choose to continue to mask or remove masks– as we move into a mask-optional environment.
In closing, we wish to remind everyone of the importance of continued self-monitoring as one of the most important ways to help keep transmission rates low. If you are sick, stay home and contact your school nurse and/or health provider for additional guidance. This practice has played a pivotal role in helping us get to this place today and we appreciate your individual efforts toward keeping yourself and others healthy.
Thank you for your continuous support and understanding.
Anna Cutaia, Ed.D.
Superintendent