PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Maine’s largest school district is planning to require universal masking for all students in the coming year.
Portland Public Schools also plan to make masking optional for vaccinated staff in indoor settings that only involve adults. Staff who are not vaccinated will be expected to wear a mask at all times, Superintendent Xavier Botana said in a letter to parents.
The Portland Board of Public Education is scheduled to vote on the rules on Aug. 17. The district also plans to perform pooled testing for coronavirus, and resume allowing parents and other visitors into school buildings.
Botana said in the letter to parents that the district is going back to full-time, in-person learning. School is set to begin on Aug. 31. His letter said “masking and our other health and safety protocols worked to help keep our schools safe” last year.
