Chester Schools Waiting On Guidance About Masking In September

CHESTER, NJ — With Governor Phil Murphy’s recent announcement that leaves it up to school districts to decide whether or not masks will be required when students return to school in September, Chester School District’s superintendent said the district plans to discuss closer to the start of the school year, whether or not masks will be optional for students and staff.

Dr. Christina Van Woert said following Murphy’s June 28 announcement, New Jersey school districts received follow-up guidance from New Jersey’s Department of Education, to wait for more information on the topic.

“We were instructed to wait and see until the CDC and New Jersey Department of Health release their guidance,” Van Woert said. “They will do so closer to the start of school so they can take into account the COVID-19 situation at that particular time.”

Absent any dramatic change in our situation before the beginning of the school year, masking by students while in their school buildings will NOT be mandatory – unless a school district requires masking as part of its own protocols. pic.twitter.com/rVlIe3tcyg
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 28, 2021

The Chester School District relaxed masking requirements for students at the end of the school year during outdoor recess because of the heat.

Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education unveiled "The Road Forward Health and Safety Guidance for the 2021-2022 School Year" document on June 28, which is expected to replace Murphy's Executive Order 175 from March 2020, as well as protocols New Jersey schools used during the 2020-2021 school year.

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