Gill School Committee Unanimously Rescinds COVID Mask Policy in 8-0 Vote

GILL -- May 19, 2021, Gill School Committee votes 8-0 to rescind its COVID face-covering policy and delegate ongoing mask rules to the superintendent. The committee held a special single-item session Wednesday after state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidance shifted twice in two days, leaving the board-level policy EBGFA out of step with current science. Superintendent Brian Beck and Nurse Leader Melissa Bednarski presented revised protocols allowing outdoor mask removal during active play while retaining indoor requirements and a six-foot proximity standard for stationary gatherings. Two building principals offered on-the-spot feedback about recess supervision, with one noting the district had not yet had time to consult classroom teachers. Beck said he would report back at the following Tuesday's regular meeting with field-level results after a few days under the new standard. The new protocols include language authorizing Beck and Bednarski to modify requirements going forward without returning to the committee for a vote.