Dighton-Rehoboth Schools: Masks are Voluntary

 Students attending Dighton-Rehoboth schools will not be required to wear masks when the new academic year begins. “Masks are mandatory on school buses and in the nurse’s office,” D-R School Superintendent Anthony Azar said Wednesday. “Masks are strongly recommended for students in grades K through 6.  Masks are strongly recommended for students in grades 7-12 if they are not fully vaccinated.” At Tuesday’s school committee meeting, many parents expressed opposition to their children wearing masks.

Rehoboth reported 12 new cases of Covid-19 in the last 14 days. The positivity rate is 2.75 percent. The total case count is 1015. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created a four-tier system to indicate the rate of transmission of COVID-19 in every county. Bristol County is designated Red, which is high.

With infections increasing statewide, Azar said there is the possibility of closures if the rate of infection becomes too high. “If there are concerns about clusters of infections, we will be consulting with our local boards of health to see what our options are,” Azar noted. “Schools,  grade levels, programs and/or classrooms could be closed.  However, at this time we are waiting for further guidance from DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education).”

In the meantime, Azar said the school department is doing what they can to prevent anyone from getting sick.  “We will continue to stress all safety protocols already in place: such as washing hands, maintaining social distancing, wearing a mask, if decided by parent/student/staff, making sure students are masked on buses and in the nurse area,” Azar added.