Montville — Applause erupted in the high school's library Tuesday night, as the Board of Education voted unanimously to suspend its mask policy in the school district and make masks optional, but recommended, starting March 1.

The decision comes after the state Senate voted to approve Gov. Ned Lamont's standing executive orders on Monday, including the statewide mandate for masks in school that ends Feb. 28.

Superintendent Laurie Pallin made the recommendation to suspend the district's mask policy, adding that the school board incorporate upcoming guidelines from the state departments of Education and Public Health into the district's coronavirus policies regarding contact tracing, quarantine and isolation.

COVID-19 cases in the district are declining: Once averaging 30 cases a day, the district now averages one case a day, she said. 

Montville still is considered a "red zone" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a 14.2% positivity rate and 62 average daily cases, Pallin said. She noted 66.6% of residents, 61.5% of 12- to 17-year-olds and 27.2% of 5- to 11-year-olds in town are fully vaccinated.

But Pallin said there are still a lot of unknowns — whether contact tracing should be reinstated after it was suspended with the effectiveness of masks, and whether students should still wear masks an additional five days at school after quarantine or isolation — and that is why she recommended waiting for more guidance on those issues.

The approved motion also states the school board will continue to follow federal law and mandate mask-wearing on the school district's contracted buses. Pallin said the federal law that requires masks be worn by all people in public transportation is set to expire March 18, after which the board likely will align with its new mask policy.

Pallin said school officials no longer will be held responsible for monitoring mask-wearing in schools. The decision to wear a mask will be the parents' and student's choice, and no bullying will be tolerated on the subject.

A crowd of parents attended the meeting and backed the recommendation to suspend the district's mask policy.

Town Councilor Robert Yuchniuk attended the meeting and said he spoke as a parent when he thanked Pallin for her recommendation and hoped the board would take it into consideration.

Many parents raised concerns that masks were inhibiting their children's development, mental health and overall social experience. One parent said she was glad this was going to be made the parents' choice, as they know what is best for their children and do not need to co-parent with the government.

Although many believe Feb. 28 could be the end of the mask mandate in schools, the commissioners of the departments of Public Health and Education can reimplement statewide school and day care masking or social distancing rules if they see fit up until the end of the school year on June 30.

Apart from the masks mandate, Pallin said starting Wednesday, Feb. 16, the school district will no longer require vaccination status, or a medical or religious exemption to vaccination, as a condition of employment. She said the district will also no longer require unvaccinated employees to submit proof of weekly testing.

Pallin said the basis for this decision is guidance from the state Department of Education, as the state no longer requires employees in public and nonpublic schools to be fully vaccinated, nor will schools be prohibited from hiring prospective employees who are not fully vaccinated.

j.vazquez@theday.com