The following people petition to issue a mask mandate at Ellington Public Schools for the 2021-2022 school year or until new guidance by the CDC is published. The state of Connecticut has issued new guidance consistent with the CDC, stating that “masks are required to be worn by everyone in certain settings such as healthcare facilities, facilities housing vulnerable populations, public and private transit, correctional facilities, schools, and childcare," until September 30th, however the school administration has signaled their intention to no longer require masks as soon as the governor lifts his mandate. The school administration for Ellington Public Schools need to be proactive in their decisions to protect both students, teachers, and faculty.  A mask mandate is required to protect all who attend and work in the school system. The people signing this petition acknowledge the preponderance of scientific data supporting that when the majority of people wear a mask in a public space (i.e. school) the spread of the Coronavirus is slowed. Wearing a mask is a minor inconvenience that all bear to keep one another safe. A mask mandate would increase the safety of in-person education for students and teachers, while also decreasing the rate of transmission of COVID-19 to all children, teachers, and faculty. 

The people signing this petition also understand the stress that quarantining children, either from symptoms and/or exposure to the Coronavirus causes to working parents, including a threat to their job security. A mask mandate for all individuals who attend and/or work in the Ellington Public Schools, along with high vaccination rates within the community, will significantly reduce the likelihood for quarantining procedures. 

The signers of this petition support Ellington Public Schools instituting a mask mandate for the safety of our children and educators.