York, Maine To Require Masks for All Students This Fall

All students in York will be required to wear masks when classes begin on Aug. 30.

Superintendent Lou Goscinski said he was relieved to finally deliver the news to the public on Wednesday night. Original plans for the district did not include a mask mandate but some parents have been pushing for one.

"This is a very important decision. It's weighed heavily on my mind and many people's minds and this is not an easy time in public education," Goscinski said.

Goscinski said there is a 3.8 percent infection rate in York Couty and that is expected to rise.

In addition to wearing masks indoors, Goscinski is interested in pooled testing.

"The whole mission is to keep kids in school," he said.

Goscinski's statements begin at about 10 minutes in the video below:

With masking and pool testing, schools will be able to relax their social distancing policies.

"Last year, we had to go into a hybrid model because we didn't have space to accommodate for six feet of distance," Goscinski said.

School board members voted unanimously to approve Goscinski's plan for the return to classes.

The plan can be changed at any time.

Contact Managing News Editor Kimberley Haas at Kimberley.Haas@townsquaremedia.com.

COMPARE PLANS: See what some school districts in New Hampshire are doing.

LEARN MORE: Some students in Seabrook, NH, will not have to wear masks when classes begin on Aug. 31.