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Parents prepare for end of statewide school mask mandate on Feb. 28

Outside the classroom, the CIAC will not require masks at any indoor or outdoor practices or competitions for student athletes.

CONNECTICUT, USA — Parents are preparing for the end of the statewide mask mandate in Connecticut schools, now just one week away.

The decision on whether to mask up will now be left up to local school boards.

“I’m super excited about it. I was one of the parents who spoke up at the board of education meeting,” said Jennifer Brown, a parent in Griswold. “It’s stupid to have the kids in masks if they don’t want to be, especially if the parents don’t want them to be.” 

However, other parents are proceeding with caution. Mary Rulevich of Manchester has talked with her son about keeping the mask on as that district goes mask-optional.

“In the classroom, it’s hard to social distance and there are times there have been pretty high numbers of students that have been positive in one day,” said Rulevich. 

RELATED: Mask requirements for high school athletes to come to an end: CIAC

Outside the classroom, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference will not require masks at any indoor or outdoor practices or competitions for student athletes starting Feb. 28th.

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However, players, coaches, officials and spectators will still have to follow restrictions and permissions issued by facilities where events happen.

The CIAC is also requesting that districts that do continue with mask requirements consider allowing athletes to compete indoors without masks.

RELATED: Department of Public Health updates mask guidance for schools developing new mask policies

“My son’s vaccinated and I feel like it’s time,” said James Jones, whose son plays basketball at East Catholic. “The contacts that they make with the sport is so quick that you know, on the sidelines they can wear the mask but during performance, it’s just so hard to breathe.

In Middletown, Chrissy Magnano and her son who runs track plan to play it as safe as they can. That means masking up whenever possible.

“My son has receptive expressive and pragmatic speech delays and my son has never had a problem wearing his mask,” said Magnano.

Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

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