Students In West Orange 'Encouraged' To Wear Masks As Heat Rises

WEST ORANGE, NJ — With the summer comes heat. And that’s not a new challenge for West Orange’s schools – or others in the state.

But when face masks come into the equation, it makes things a little bit more complicated.

On Wednesday, West Orange High School went virtual due to a weather forecast of high temperatures. Grades 9 to 12 operated remotely, however, the district’s PreK to grade 8 students stayed on their regular hybrid schedule.

“Because, temperatures are expected to drop Thursday and Friday, we do not foresee additional changes to the schedule being necessary for the foreseeable future,” Superintendent Scott Cascone said.

“As we all know and realize, the month of June typically brings with it rising temperatures, and maintaining comfortable classrooms is a challenge annually,” Cascone said. “The public schools of West Orange are not unique in this regard.”

• See related article: Belleville Schools Go Virtual For Day Amid Heat Wave

Gov. Phil Murphy recently said that masks are optional for school districts in extreme heat.

"As a reminder to all school officials, our current masking requirements do include exceptions for cases of extreme heat in outdoor settings and for situations indoors or outdoors where wearing a mask would inhibit the individual's health," Murphy said.

"School officials are empowered to relax masking among students and staff in their buildings given extreme weather conditions, and we hope they will make the right calls for their educational communities," the governor added.

So are students in West Orange allowed to take off their face masks when the temperature rises?

On Tuesday, Cascone said the district is “remaining compliant” with the state’s indoor face mask policy for its public schools.

According to Cascone, the New Jersey Department of Education issued a statement concerning the necessity to wear masks in these circumstances, which was shared with the district by county offices. It read:

“Masking protocols outlined in Executive Order No. 175, which are aligned with current CDC recommendations, remain in place. The order includes an exception to masking requirements outdoors during periods of extreme heat. Additionally, the order includes an exception to masking protocols in situations where wearing a mask would inhibit an individual’s health. Please be advised that the governor has clarified that this indoor masking exception could reasonably be applied to situations in which a district determines, at its discretion and based on its assessment of the individual circumstances, that a period of extreme heat warrants students and staff to remove their masks while indoors to protect individual health. As always, unvaccinated individuals are strongly encouraged to continue wearing masks while participating in activities that include sustained contact with others, or when in a crowded setting.”

“We encourage our students to attend in-person instruction wearing a mask, and dress in clothing appropriate for the weather yet mindful of dress code,” Cascone said. “Some latitude for judgment has been offered to the building principals, and decisions will be made as needed on a case-by-case basis.”

Several local parents offered their own comments about the issue on social media. Seen online:

• “My 2nd grader said it was so hot it felt like his feet were even boiling. I’ve never seen him drink so much water when he got home and all today (virtual due to voting). Beyond the mask issue, we need a real way to deal with this heat that will be there the rest of June and also September.”
• “I remember that heat in the high school on super-hot days so I’m glad they decided to cancel school for those students. My son will be going to school tomorrow with a mask.”
• “Let the students over 16 take their masks off. The governor has lifted all restrictions for vaccinated adults, why are students over 16 treated differently if they are vaccinated also?”
• “Not understanding how the heat is only bad for the high school and not the elementary school kids. If you close one school for snow you close them all, same should go for heat.”

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