AGAWAM – The Agawam School Committee hosted a special meeting on Aug. 31 to discuss student discipline in relation to COVID-19 and face coverings.

Mayor William Sapelli explained that prior to this meeting, the policy subcommittee met to discuss this item. The subcommittee is chaired by School Committee member Shelley Reed. In attendance during this meeting were members Dawn Dube and Wendy Rua, along with Kerri O’Connor as a non-participant. Superintendent Sheila Hoffman, Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Salamao, and the school attorney were also present and willing to answer any questions.

Reed explained that they met as a subcommittee to discuss the addendum to policy JIC-1 – student discipline related to COVID-19. She said that the committee voted in favor of this policy. “We wish to send a positive recommendation for a final vote.”

She read the policy as follows: “Requirements regarding mask wearing: effective immediately – public school students aged five and above in all grades are required to wear masks indoors, in school, except when eating, drinking or during mask breaks. By federal public health order, all students are required to wear a mask on school buses. It is strongly recommended that students younger than five wear a mask at school [that’s a recommendation].”

Reed continued, “Masks must cover an individual's nose and mouth. Students that cannot wear a mask due to documented medical reasons and students that cannot wear a mask due to documented behavioral reasons, may be exempt from the requirement. Exemptions must be approved by the school principal, in consultation with the school nurse, a school physician or 504 process.”

“Mask compliance, positive behavioral interventions, conferencing between families and school administration and progressive discipline will be used to address students' non compliance with this policy. Only after these steps are taken may a student be removed from the school building until such a time as they can comply or the requirement is lifted,” finished Reed.

As of now, the mask requirement is in effect until Oct. 1, per the decision of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and Commissioner Jeff Riley.

Reed said, “I know no one wants to discipline a child for not wearing a mask, but we have to have some policy for Mrs. Hoffmann and her staff, so that everyone is on the same page.”

Rua said, regardless of the masking, a positive is that all students are coming back to school, fully in person, five days a week.

After some discussion on this policy and mixed thoughts among members on how the term “discipline” should be used, committee members realized that this is the best possible policy to follow at the time.

When it came time to vote in favor of the policy, the committee voted six yes, one absent.