East Providence Schools Mask Mandate Ends March 4

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — East Providence Public Schools will follow the state's guidance and make masks optional in school beginning March 4, Superintendent Kathryn Crowley said.

The news came Wednesday, the same day Gov. Dan McKee said big changes to statewide mask policy. Beginning Friday, masks or proof of vaccination will no longer be required in public settings, while the requirement for mask wearing in schools will end March 4.

McKee said local school districts will have the option to make their own policies, and that's what East Providence will do. Crowley said the district was going to start the year with masks being optional before the mandate was extended in the fall.

"We anticipated this coming at the press conference today," Crowley said. "We're going to be following the Rhode Island Department of Health and follow the policy, which was developed as choice. We developed that policy, and that's what we're going to abide by."

Crowley said coronavirus numbers in East Providence Public Schools have continued to decrease over the last several weeks.

At one point before Christmas, there were days she was afraid she'd have to close schools, because of the number of employees out sick.

"Two weeks after Christmas, I began to see improvement in attendance of faculty and students," Crowley said. "That has continued to this point. We're way down, considering where we were."