Sen. Hwang: Consistency Needed In School Mask Protocols

A tumultuous public K-12 school year has ended in Connecticut. Despite the frustration of ever-changing guidance and policy standards from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and disjointed coordination with the governor’s office along with our state government agencies in education and public health, Connecticut finished the academic year with an exciting flourish of graduations and move up ceremonies! Kudos to the resiliency of students, administrators and parents in adapting and coping with the challenging COVID-19 pandemic regulations.

The past two school years have been challenging to say the least, and many parents and teachers have questioned inconsistencies in state policies. We initially saw the introduction and sustained use of remote and hybrid learning and 100 percent mask requirements when in-person. We saw specific classes like physical education and performing arts substantially changed. We saw disparate treatment of different sports and extracurricular club activities. Many parents and students have shared that social-emotional interactions and mental health has been a struggle during this unprecedented pandemic crisis.

I wrote to Gov. Lamont, and the interim commissioner of public health for their leadership, involvement and public policy advice because Connecticut’s schools have been given little guidance via executive branch directives. I have been diligent and insistent since May 2020 in noting how allowing local district autonomy may have been a good initial public policy, but does not relieve state agencies from making evolving and updated science-backed recommendations to guide our schools, teachers and parents. Without clearly identified benchmarks and medical-based policies, it is our students who suffer from the current inconsistencies. Students are receiving a varying educational experience due to lack of communications from the state government. Without definitive CT DPH guidelines, local education and daycare administrators remain in limbo. These leaders are considering implementing no mask policies and without DPH approval this will create a potential legal liability to municipalities and their boards of education.

After repeated requests asking the executive branch to provide an updated statewide mask policy or standard, I finally received a letter back from DPH on Wednesday. My questions were the same that were being asked by numerous local school districts, officials, concerned parents and students needing to plan for the summer and upcoming fall school year.

In summary, the CT DPH letter states that DPH is developing a policy plan and will consider loosening the mask requirements for schools, child care centers and camps with additional data and/or input from the CDC. However, the policy is still in development and therefore nothing has changed and masks are still required.

While guidance is currently under development, parents, teachers and students have all been asking for clear metrics for months. People are not asking to remove all restrictions at once, but they are seeking clarity as to what metrics, such as what the infection rate or vaccination rate needs to be in order to allow for the loosening of restrictions in various settings. Instead of clarity, we have seen disjointed policies with different rules for different settings. We need metrics based on science, not opinion, and the state government needs to communicate those metrics so schools, staff and students across Connecticut can prepare themselves for what the future holds.

Connecticut’s current “state of our COVID-19 state” has an entirely different outlook than it did one long year ago. Our infection rate is under 1 percent and has been holding steady for the past few months. As the K-12 school year concluded with in-person prom celebrations, moving up and graduation ceremonies, we should reflect on the incredible progress we have made in reopening the state.

The varying situations in schools and childcare facilities over the last year have created social-emotional experiences for children that range from tense to traumatic. Looking to the fall, we must understand how all policies including virtual learning or mask policies will impact children’s ability to interact with others and feel safe. Hearing from parents from across the state, they have shared stories of their young child not knowing any of their peers’ names and how their formerly outgoing child has become very withdrawn and uneasy leaving their home due to fear. As much as we have a responsibility to protect our children, we have to support them as they try to resume a full childhood experience. There needs to be a confident and science-based explanation as to when and why certain requirements are in place.

As we try to prepare for the upcoming school year and navigate the return of summer camps, our children and parents/caregivers need to know what specific environments and COVID protocols they will be walking into. Those metrics should be made known now.

I cannot understate the challenges and confusion that our children, parents and teachers have faced throughout this pandemic. I also cannot imagine the frustration and anxiety experienced by our education and childcare leaders as they try to balance the incredible positives and necessities for in-person learning against protecting every person’s physical and mental health and safety.

We urgently need our state government leaders to finally connect the dots on policy and protocols for our children and families. This time-sensitive public policy clarification is long-overdue, and I will be vigilant and hope that affected parents, educators and administrators will join me in demanding answers as soon as possible.

State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-28