Special Ellsworth School Board Meeting Scheduled for Thursday March 3rd

With the State of Maine Department of Health and Human Service's and the Maine Department of Education's announcement today, March 9th that universal masking is no longer a statewide recommendation for Maine's schools and child care locations, the Ellsworth School Board has scheduled a special School Board Meeting for Thursday night March 3rd.

The Meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Ellsworth City Hall Chambers.

The lone item on the agenda is

• Consideration of New CDC COVID Guidelines on Masking.

The Meeting will be broadcast live to Spectrum Channel 1303 and live-streamed to the Ellsworth School Department and City of Ellsworth YouTube Channels.

At this point in the pandemic, the focus of State government remains on maintaining the critical functions of everyday life for Maine people, including preserving hospital capacity, keeping schools open, supporting businesses, and providing Maine people with the tools to keep themselves healthy, like COVID-19 vaccines and tests," said Governor Janet Mills. "We strongly urge parents to have their children vaccinated, if eligible, which is the best way to protect them and others. Maine people should make decisions about masks that they believe are in the best interest of their health while being considerate of those around them."
"As the pandemic has evolved, so too has our approach, and that includes today's actions. Some people, communities, schools, child care centers, and businesses may choose to continue to require masking because it's best for their circumstances - and those decisions are understandable and should be respected,"said Jeanne Lambrew, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. "As the Governor said, we continue to urge all Maine people to get vaccinated and boosted as the best way to take care of yourself and others."
"Maine people now have more tools to make decisions based on their own assessments of risk," said Nirav D. Shah, Director of the Maine CDC. "Recent trends are encouraging, and for some individuals and communities, masking may be a smart way to limit the impact of COVID-19."
"The pandemic has created extraordinary challenges for Maine schools, and they have met these challenges with courage, innovation, and forward thinking," said Pender Makin, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. "We are heartened by the recent data and this transition toward recovery and normalcy for our schools."