On Friday afternoon, February 25, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised mask requirements on school buses. As of Tuesday, March 1, masks will be optional for NPS students riding on school buses. Drivers will continue to wear masks per Durham School Services company policy. Additionally, students will be coming home with Covid tests this week. We encourage families to test their students.

In alignment with the City of Norwalk’s recent decision to lift the mask mandate, NPS will shift to mask optional for students and staff beginning Tuesday, March 1, 2022.

This has been a very challenging time for our community, especially students and staff. A recent survey of NPS families showed that opinions regarding masks in schools were split across the district. Together as a community, we encourage everyone to model acceptance and kindness for our children as this transition takes place, and families make individualized decisions about mask wearing.

Over the past weeks, Covid cases in Norwalk have significantly decreased. It is our sincerest hope that this trend continues. NPS will continue to follow Covid trends closely and may reinstate the mask mandate should conditions change in the future.

The safety of our students and staff is always first and foremost and we are committed to continuing the following mitigating strategies:

• NPS will continue to maintain recommended ventilation, sanitation practices, distancing and maintaining air filters.
• Adhering to guidelines requiring masking when an activity can only be done safely with masks, such as chorus (the state has yet to update guidance in this area).
• Students should bring a mask to school each day in case there are times where it becomes necessary to wear one (e.g. buses, chorus, etc.). Schools have masks on hand if needed.
• Progressive Diagnostics will continue to offer free testing once a week at each school to unvaccinated and vaccinated students, not exhibiting any Covid-related symptoms, with parental consent. For information click here.
• Continue to work with local healthcare partners to provide eligible NPS students with free Pfizer Covid vaccines via clinics. For dates, times and locations click here.
• Make Covid test kits available for students and staff while supplies are available via the state.
• Follow isolation and quarantine protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated students who test positive for Covid or have symptoms. Please refer to the FAQ on Norwalkps.org for details.
• Students who test positive must wear a mask upon return to school on days 6-10 in accordance with current CDC guidelines.
• Masking will remain in effect in nurses’ office for students who are sick or exhibit symptoms until picked up by a parent. There may be spaces for infection control within the school that also require masking.
• Masks will be optional for students on NPS buses as of March 1. NPS bus drivers will continue to wear masks per Durham School Services bus company.

We appreciate your support as we continue to navigate the pandemic, while ensuring that schools remain a safe place for students and staff.