Hazlet Supt. To Gov. Murphy: Nix Mask Requirement In Schools

HAZLET, NJ - In New Jersey, you don’t have to wear a face mask in restaurants, retail stores or sporting arenas as of May 28, according to Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent pandemic-related rollbacks: but face coverings are still required in preschool, elementary and secondary school settings.

Alongside other school district heads from across Monmouth County, Hazlet Superintendent Dr. Scott Ridley recently signed a letter demanding the state reassess the requirement.

A coalition of Monmouth County superintendents sent this letter last week to Gov. Phil Murphy, politely requesting an end to "wildly inconsistent expectations" over mask wearing and coronavirus policies when school fully resumes in person in the 2021-22 academic year.

The letter, also signed by superintendents in Middletown, Howell, Colts Neck, Red Bank and elsewhere, said that throughout the duration of the pandemic, directions and executive orders from Murphy and the state Department of Health have been "confusing," "contradictory" and "inconsistent."

The governor's executive orders have also pitted parents against their local school districts, they said.

On May 27, Ridley penned a separate letter to the governor highlighting Hazlet’s efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus and get children back to normalcy.

“My community has repeatedly depressed its collective concern regarding this mandate while continuing to emphasize that this disease affects school children the least of all impacted populations,” Ridley wrote.

“As per your news conferences … we are in such a better place now than we were then and I am hoping you will consider eliminating this mandate as our students have grown weary from being ‘masked up,’ unable to enjoy smiling and healthy interactions with their teachers and peers. Schools, by definition, provide safe and supportive environments and it is becoming increasingly difficult for our youngsters to grow and evolve while having to cover half their face.”

Gov. Murphy already said that all students must be in person by fall 2021 and virtual learning from home will not be an option. However, in May he also said he expects students will still have to wear masks in September. But then just Tuesday he pivoted, saying "there is a chance" New Jersey will lift its mask requirement before school resumes in the fall.

As of this week, the superintendents of at least five major school districts in the state — Mount Olive, Brick, Toms River, Central Regional in Ocean County and Freehold Regional — have asked Murphy to drop the mask requirement for New Jersey school kids and teachers this fall.

“Socially-emotionally, many students are exhausted and confused from this past year and I sincerely believe that the elimination of this mandate would lift spirits and lessen anxieties,” the Hazlet superintendent continued in his letter. “Both the CDC and WHO have significantly downgraded their list of prohibited practices as the infections wane and we respectfully request that your leadership embraces their reevaluation. As per your urging, a majority [of] our teachers and staff have been vaccinated and our eligible high school students have begun this important process as well.

“Thank you for considering this request," Ridley concluded. "Removing the mask mandate will elevate the quality of life and education for our children on so many levels.”

With additional reporting by Carly Baldwin.