School Board Asks Governor To Unmask Long Valley Students

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Almost all members of Washington Township’s School Board but one voted to send out a letter to Governor Phil Murphy requesting he repeal his mask mandate when students return to school in September.

Board President Jessica DeCicco read the proposed letter - addressed to Murphy from her on behalf of the entire board - with the board following with its vote during the “unfinished business” portion of its meeting on Tuesday night.

“We are hoping that you’ll reconsider Executive Order 175, for the start of the 2021-2022 school year, and leave the decision of whether to wear a mask to our families,” DeCicco read.

“We feel very strongly that at this point the landscape has changed enough to allow families to make a decision on what is best practices for their children,” she continued.

The board attributed their request to the availability of the vaccine and with mutations in COVID-19 making “complications far less dramatic.”

“We believe at this time with continued vigilance with less erroneous and less harmful mitigation efforts, will be enough to protect our children and staff,” DeCicco said.

The letter asked Murphy to return not just to the Washington Township and Long Valley communities the freedoms to determine was it best for their schools, but to extend this choice to all districts throughout New Jersey. It mentioned that students are presently allowed unmask in other non-healthcare settings.

“Our community’s adherence to the health and safety measures has been proven to be both respectful and responsible,” she stated, citing the district has understood the science and data behind the decisions made pertaining to coronavirus mitigation strategies.

The district also told Murphy in the letter DeCicco read, that they’ve worked closely with their health department and are prepared should the coronavirus return.

“It is time to restore a sense of normalcy for our children and faculty and help them to breathe easier, literally and figuratively,” DeCicco also wrote.

Should Murphy not repeal Executive Order 175 and allow students to unmask in September, the letter asked if it could be partially lifted for outdoor activities.

Washington Township Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Mohre said at the meeting - his final one before retirement - that the district suggested the Governor should permit school districts throughout the state to choose to unmask students on their own in the new school year, based on circumstances in each district, rather than having a blanket order for all schools.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at jennifer.miller@patch.com