‘Mask Optional’ Policy In East Brunswick Schools After March. 7

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ —The East Brunswick School District plans to move to a “masks optional” policy come March. 7, school Superintendent Victor Valeski told Patch.

New Jersey will drop its statewide mask mandate for K-12 schools, effective March 7, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. One reason Murphy set the date for a month from now, was to give school districts time to figure out adjustments. The New Jersey Department of Health also plans to send updated health guidance to schools. Read More: Schools Can Extend Mask Mandate, But NJ Requirement Ends In March

“At that point, unless there are changes in infection rate, staff, students, and family will have the option to wear masks at school buildings,” Valeski said.

Between Jan . 28 to Feb. 3, the school district reported 31 positive COVID-19 cases — 22 students and 9 staff members. These numbers are a decrease from previous weeks, when school districts across the state reported high COVID numbers, due to the highly contagious omicron variant.

The transmission rate within schools remains low. The school district has in the past held three COVID-19 vaccine clinics for district families. Valeski said that the current transmission rate across district schools “gives us hope that this is a prudent next move.”

Valeski said he read about other school districts in the country that returned back to school without masks and reported low transmission rates. However, those numbers are anecdotal. The numbers reported in East Brunswick and across New Jersey are data-driven.

Commenting on Murphy’s decision to drop mask mandates, Valeski said it was “one more step in our recovery.”

“Many families and students in our district want this, while others will be apprehensive. By having a mask optional policy no one will be ridiculed for making a choice,” he said.

The Superintendent said he was hopeful the COVID-19 metrics will continue to trend in a good direction in the coming few weeks.

Locally, East Brunswick Township decided not to renew its indoor mask mandate after Jan. 31, owing to a decline in positive COVID-19 cases. Read More: Mask Mandate Ends In East Brunswick As COVID Cases Decline

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