Wakefield Schools Drop Mask Requirement Effective Thursday

WAKEFIELD, MA — The mandate requiring Wakefield Public Schools students wear face coverings in school will end Thursday.

The School Committee voted Tuesday night to drop the mandate. An initial vote to end the mandate immediately was deadlocked, with some members wanting to give the extra day.

The mask issue was initially going to be revisited next week, but was moved up amid revised guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We've changed because the guidance has changed. We're trying to do this sooner, because we have new information," Superintendent Doug Lyons said. "And so we're in a better space than we thought we were going to be. And we're just trying to make the best decision that we can under the circumstances, while again serving all families."

Patch will update this story

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Wakefield Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.