CONWAY — On Thursday, masks became optional for students and staff in the Conway School District, effective immediately, after the state Department of Health and Human Services updated its recommendations and no longer requires face masks in indoor public spaces. This includes schools in the Granite State.
The announcement came without warning to school officials but prompted fast action by local Superintendent Kevin Richard.
kAm%96 r@?H2J $49@@= q@2C5 925 G@E65 2E :ED u63] `c >66E:?8 f\_ E@ 8@ >2D< @AE:@?2= 2D @7 |2C49 `g 7@C E96 r@?H2J $49@@= s:DEC:4E’D 7:G6 D49@@=D Wz6??6EE w:89[ z6??6EE |:55=6[ y@9? w] uF==6C t=6>6?E2CJ[ !:?6 %C66 $49@@= 2?5 r@?H2J t=6>6?E2CJX]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ 7@==@H:?8 E96 ?6H sww$ C64@>>6?52E:@?[ #:492C5 C624965 @FE E@ E96 3@2C5 %9FCD52J >@C?:?8[ 2?5 7:G6 >6>36CD W|:496==6 r2A@KK@=:[ y@6 {6?E:?:[ q2C32C2 {J@?D[ #J2? (2==246 2?5 y6DD:42 (9:E6=2HX 28C665 E@ 7@==@H E96 DE2E6’D =625] w6 5:5 ?@E 962C 324< 7C@> #2?5J s2G:D@? 2?5 y@6 |@D42]k^Am
kAm|2D<D 925 366? >2?52E@CJ F?=6DD 2 DEF56?E @C DE2776C 925 2 5@4E@C’D ?@E6 D:?46 $6AE6>36C] |25:D@? H6?E >2D< @AE:@?2= yF?6 c F?E:= E96 6?5 @7 E96 D49@@= J62C[ H9:=6 z6??6EE w:89 2==@H65 E96 D6?:@C 4=2DD E@ 8@ >2D<\7C66 2E :ED 8C25F2E:@? 2?5 32?BF6E :? yF?6]k^Am
kAm}6H w2>AD9:C6[ H9:49 @?46 96=5 E96 5F3:@FD 5:DE:?4E:@? @7 E96 >@DE 42D6D A6C `__[___ C6D:56?ED[ D2E 2E @?=J ca A6C `__[___ C6D:56?ED %F6D52J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D]k^Am
kAm%96 3@2C5 H2?E65 E@ H2:E EH@ H66<D 27E6C E96 u63CF2CJ D49@@= G242E:@? E@ D66 :7 E96C6 >:89E 36 2 DA:<6 :? r~'xs\`h 42D6D] %96 EH@ H66<D 7@==@H:?8 r9C:DE>2D C646DD D2H `_g 42D6D E96 7:CDE H66< 2?5 gc E96 D64@?5 H66<[ 3FE ?F>36CD 92G6 DE625:=J 564=:?65 D:?46 E96? E@ ;FDE `_ =2DE H66<]k^Am
kAm%96 q2CE=6EE $49@@= q@2C5 >6E u63] `f 2?5 G@E65 c\` W#@3 r=2C<[ $4@EE vC2?E[ }2?4J z6=6>6? 2?5 p?5C6H {:89E :? E96 >2;@C:EJ 2?5 t>:=J r2=56CH@@5 :? E96 >:?@C:EJX E@ 8@ >2D< @AE:@?2= 2E AC6\z\g y@D:29 q2CE=6EE t=6>6?E2CJ $49@@= H96? DEF56?ED C6EFC? u63] ag] %96 >@G6 42>6 @? E96 966=D @7 E96 |25:D@? $49@@= q@2C5 G@E:?8 d\_ @? u63] `d E@ 8@ >2D<\@AE:@?2= 67764E:G6 :>>65:2E6=J]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 $p& h WE96 7:G6 r@?H2J D49@@=D[ y@D:29 q2CE=6EE 2?5 E96 y24<D@? vC2>>2C $49@@=X 2?5 $p& `b WuC665@> t=6>6?E2CJ[ |25:D@? t=6>6?E2CJ 2?5 E96 z]p] qC6EE $49@@= :? %2>H@CE9X 2C6 @? u63CF2CJ G242E:@? E9:D H66<[ >@DE }6H w2>AD9:C6 D49@@=D 2C6 @? 3C62< ?6IE H66<]k^Am
kAm#:492C5 D2:5 E96 y24<D@? $49@@= q@2C5 H:== 5:D4FDD E96 E@A:4 |2C49 b 3FE “H:== 4@?E:?F6 E96:C 4FCC6?E AC@E@4@=D F?E:= E92E E:>6]”k^Am
kAm!6C 7656C2= >2?52E6[ >2D<D 2C6 DE:== C6BF:C65 @? AF3=:4 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? :?4=F5:?8 D49@@= 3FD6D]k^Am
kAm#:492C5 D2:5i “!6@A=6 H9@ 2C6 D6G6C6=J :>>F?@4@>AC@>:D65 D9@F=5 4@?D:56C 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ H62C 2 7246 >2D<] x? D49@@=D H96C6 >2D<:?8 :D @AE:@?2=[ 5:DA@D23=6 >2D<D H:== 36 >256 2G2:=23=6]”k^Am
kAm#:492C5 25565i “%96C6’D ?@ A=2J3@@< @? E9:D] (6 92G6 E@ C6=J @? E96 A6@A=6 H9@ 5@ E9:D 7@C 2 =:G:?8[ H6 ?665 E@ ECFDE E96 962=E9 @77:4:2=D 2?5 7@==@H E96 D4:6?46] r~'xs\`h :D DE:== :? @FC 4@>>F?:EJ] (6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ >:E:82E6 E96 C:D< @7 EC2?D>:DD:@? FD:?8 DEC2E68:6D :?4=F5:?8 DF886DE:?8 2AAC@AC:2E6 D@4:2= 5:DE2?4:?8 2?5 AC@>@E:?8 9J8:6?6 >62DFC6D]”k^Am
kAmx? 2 C6=62D6 :DDF65 %9FCD52J[ s6A2CE>6?E @7 t5F42E:@? r@>>:DD:@?6C uC2?< t56=3=FE D2:5[ “}ws~t H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ H@C< H:E9 D49@@=D 2?5 DFAA@CE E96> 2D E96J D9:7E E96:C A@=:4:6D E@ 2=:8? H:E9 AF3=:4 962=E9 C64@>>6?52E:@?D]”k^Am
kAmt56=3=FE 2=D@ D6?E @FE 2 “E649?:42= 25G:D@CJ” E@ D49@@=D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6[ D2J:?8[ “v:G6? E96 ?6H AF3=:4 962=E9 8F:52?46 C6=62D65 E@52J ]]]] >2D< C6BF:C6>6?ED :? D49@@= A@=:4:6D 2C6 :?4@?D:DE6?E H:E9 E96 t5 b_e CF=6D] p >2D< C6BF:C6>6?E >2J G:@=2E6 E96 5:DEC:4E’D @3=:82E:@? E@ >2:?E2:? A@=:4:6D E92E ‘>66E E96 :?DECF4E:@?2= ?665D @7 6249 :?5:G:5F2= DEF56?E[’ ‘AC@>@E6 2 D49@@= 6?G:C@?>6?E E92E :D 4@?5F4:G6 E@ =62C?:?8[’ 2?5 E92E ‘>66ED E96 DA64:2= A9JD:42= 962=E9 ?665D @7 DEF56?ED]’ %96C67@C6 ]]] D49@@=D D9@F=5 EC2?D:E:@? E@ 25@AE E96D6 ?6H AF3=:4 962=E9 C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2D BF:4<=J 2D A@DD:3=6]”k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 8@ >2D<\@AE:@?2= :? r@?H2J H:== 36 2E E96 w2> pC6?2 @? $2EFC52J We A]>]X H96? z6??6EE w:89 9@DED q6=>@?E\v:=7@C5 :? E96 7:?2= C68F=2C\D62D@? 9@4<6J 82>6 367@C6 E96 A=2J@77D]k^Am
kAm“u246 >2D<D H:== 36 @AE:@?2= 7@C @FC 86?6C2= D49@@= A@AF=2E:@? :? E96 r@?H2J $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ :?4=F5:?8 2?J C6>2:?:?8 H:?E6C D62D@? :?5@@C DA@CE:?8 6G6?ED[” }62= (62G6C[ zw$ 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C D2:5 :? 2? 6>2:= %9FCD52J] “%9:D A6CE2:?D E@ 4@2496D[ A=2J6CD[ @77:4:2=D 2?5 DA64E2E@CD]”k^Am
kAmw6 25565i “{6E’D 4@?E:?F6 E@ 36 D>2CE 2?5 D276[ H9:=6 C6DA64E:?8 6249 @E96C’D 564:D:@? H96E96C E@ H62C 2 7246 >2D< @C ?@E]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.