No Mask Mandate For NJ Students This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

NEW JERSEY — Students in New Jersey schools will not be required to wear masks inside unless their district mandates it for the 2021-22 academic year, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday.

Speaking during a news conference Monday afternoon, Murphy made the announcement as the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) announced updated health and safety guidelines for the upcoming school year, in which all districts will be required to provide full-time, in-person learning with no remote option.

“The recommendations we are releasing today will provide school districts with a roadmap to bring students and staff back to safe, enriching school environments,” Murphy said. “This guidance will help districts and educators develop plans to meet their student’s educational, social, emotional and mental health needs. Our students and educators have displayed amazing resiliency during the pandemic, and I am pleased that the upcoming school year will provide a sense of normalcy that students haven’t had since March 2020.”

Anyone who is comfortable wearing masks will be able to do so, Murphy added. He also said that the state anticipates updated guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) later this summer. The state will consider any updates from the federal agency ahead of the first day of the new school year.

The Department of Education released three documents for districts to follow, including:

• health and safety recommendations that provide strategies to reduce risks to students and staff from COVID-19, while still prioritizing full-time, in-person learning;
• a self-assessment of district readiness to accelerate learning and to provide supportive school climates; and
• a compilation of specific, research-backed priorities and practices accelerating learning.

The guidance released on Monday releases previous guidance released by the governor and included in NJDOE's The Road Back plan.

In late May, Murphy had said that New Jersey students and staff likely still be wearing masks when the next school year starts in September while offer wiggle room for high school students and others who already have been vaccinated.

At that time, Murphy did note that most high schoolers will have been long vaccinated by the time the fall arrives because those 16 and older have been able to get vaccinated since the start.

“These documents mark a significant milestone in our battle against COVID-19; an actionable blueprint for the return to full-time, full-day in-person instruction,” Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan said. “I am hopeful that these resources will empower our school communities to return all students safely to the classroom and ensure that all students, regardless of zip code or circumstance, receive a high-quality education that empowers them to compete for educational and work opportunities in the increasingly global marketplace.”

Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli reiterated that the best way to ensure schools can reopen safely is for everyone to get vaccinated.

"While this guidance will help schools plan for Fall, the best way to keep schools open and safe is to get vaccinated,” Persichilli said. “Now is the time for parents of children between the ages of 12 and 17 to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment to allow enough time for that second shot before school starts."

Districts are advised to follow these recommendations included in the guidance document released on Monday:

• Maintaining physical distance between students to the extent practicable. This recommendation must not prevent a school from offering fulltime in-person learning; districts should implement physical distancing only to the extent they are equipped to do so while still providing regular in-person school operations.
• Interventions to aid with social distancing include facing desks in the same direction and avoiding group seating arrangements.
• Putting procedures in place to identify and respond to a student or staff member who becomes ill with COVID-19 symptoms.
• Maintaining close communication with local health departments to share information and resources on COVID-19 transmission, prevention, and control measures and to establish procedures for notification and response to illness. Schools should also maintain transparent and ongoing communication, as appropriate, with their staff, students, and caregivers regarding school operations and health and safety information.

Officials reiterated that these recommendations are not mandatory, and won't prevent school districts from reopening in the fall.

NJDOE also released a self-assessment tool that school districts may use to develop and implement a plan for the transition to full, in-person instruction. It provides guiding questions and resources in various topics, including learning acceleration, supporting the social-emotional needs of students and educators, attendance, discipline, support for student subgroups, and districts’ financial obligations.

NJ DOE also released a guidance document that provides specific research based principles and strategies to accelerate learning and prepare students for the new school year. It is designed to serve as long-term guidance that helps anchor academic, social, and behavioral interventions for the state's school districts.

The three documents can be found on the NJDOE website.

This is a developing story. Patch will have updates as more information becomes available.