Superintendent Martin Semmel speaks at the dedication ceremony for Mary Ellen Way, in front of Jane Ryan Elementary School, in Trumbull, Conn. Nov. 6. 2020.
Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut MediaTRUMBULL — With Gov. Ned Lamont recommending an end to the statewide mask mandate, Trumbull schools could be right behind.
Prior to Lamont’s announcement Monday that he was recommending the statewide mask mandate at schools end on Feb. 28, Superintendent Martin Semmel released a letter to Trumbull school staff and families stating that he and the Trumbull Board of Education “have received a few questions about what happens next with masks.”
He said that, as long as the state mandate was in place, it would continue to be followed by the Trumbull schools.
“Similarly, if and when the statewide mask mandate comes to an end, I will recommend that the Trumbull Public Schools no longer require that masks be worn in schools,” Semmel said in the letter. “If this were to happen, masks would become optional for staff and students.”
During his press conference, Lamont said, once the mandate is lifted, it would be up to local school systems and mayors or first selectmen to decide what to do. In his letter, Semmel said he and the Board of Education were willing to continue following the mask mandate if it was kept in place.
“The governor and the Connecticut General Assembly have a significant amount of resources at their disposal, including the Department of Public Health and the Department of Education, to determine the best statewide course of action as it relates to the pandemic,” he said. “Therefore, as long as the statewide mask mandate exists by law, I will recommend that the Trumbull Public Schools continue to follow the mandate.”
At the end of the letter, Semmel said he would “stay on top of this issue and will communicate any important updates or changes to our community as I receive them.”