Beverly School Committee unanimously directs superintendent to write mask protocol for schools

BEVERLY -- August 19, 2020, Beverly School Committee votes 7-0 to direct superintendent to draft face-covering protocols for the coming school year. The committee, meeting virtually as a committee of the whole on August 19, tasked Superintendent Sue Terozcek with writing a district protocol requiring masks for grades K-12, with strong recommendations for pre-K and exceptions for students with medical or sensory needs; the committee added parameters requiring the district to maintain a mask supply, establish mask breaks, and define acceptable mask types based on current guidance. In a separate 7-0 vote, the committee granted Terozcek authority to modify or suspend a list of district policies as needed, "subject to current laws and regulation and collective bargaining" and consistent with the district's reopening plan. The committee tabled contentious August 6 meeting records, amid a dispute over the accuracy of direct quotes tied to a filed open meeting law complaint, and deferred a new federal Title IX policy revision until at least August 26, with legal counsel Kat Lyons set to lead administrator training on the changes at a leadership retreat. Transportation Director Jean Sherburne warned that the hard deadline for bus registration is August 21, with no late registrations accepted until an October 6 capacity review.