Will Middletown Schoolchildren Have To Wear Masks This Fall?

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — It's the question that's on everyone's mind.

And the answer — right now — is no.

But that could change at any time.

On Tuesday afternoon, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky issued brand-new guidance recommending that even vaccinated Americans wear masks in indoor, public spaces. She also said all K-12 students should wear masks to school this fall.

Less than 24 hours after she said that, the powerful state teachers' union, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) issued a statement saying they would like all teachers and students to be masked on the first day of school. Gov. Murphy then said Wednesday he "strongly recommends" students and teachers wear masks, but stopped just short of issuing a statewide mask mandate, the kind that was in place last spring.

Murphy did warn Wednesday he could bring back a statewide mask mandate if New Jersey's numbers get worse.

Several parents at the Tuesday night Middletown Board of Education meeting asked the superintendent and the BOE: Will my child have to wear a mask this September?

"Today was a 'recommendation,' not an order," stressed Middletown schools superintendent Mary Ellen Walker Tuesday night, referring to the CDC guidance. But - "That's at this time. There may have to be adjustments if anything happens," she cautioned.

Middletown public school students ended the school year in June not wearing masks — it was too hot in un-air conditioned classrooms. And on June 29, Walker made a decision for the fall: Wearing masks would be optional for all Middletown public school students and teachers come September.

Meanwhile, Middletown students enrolled in summer programs have been not wearing masks all summer long.

But the CDC's new guidance Tuesday, coupled with a national increase in coronavirus cases, threatens to change all that.

School in the fall "will be business as usual," said Walker on Tuesday night. "Back to science experiments at the high school, hands-on group activities."

Students will still have to wear their masks on school buses, unless it is very hot.

Middletown schools will have expanded space for students to eat lunch outside in nice weather and some elementary schools will still have some students eat lunch in the classroom and others eat lunch in the cafeteria.

"We feel that the more students that get vaccinated, the smoother the school year will go for everyone," said Walker. "So we will put information (out) that helps parents who want to get their child vaccinated. But we will not be teaching students about vaccination."

Regarding how long a student has to quarantine if they were exposed, Walker said Middletown is still expecting guidance on that from the state Dept. of Education.

Prior: Masks Will Be Optional In Middletown Schools This Fall (June 29)

No Mask Mandate For NJ Students This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says (June 28)

Watch the Tuesday night Middletown BOE meeting. The discussion on masks takes place at the very end, in the public comment portion, at the 1 hour, 19-minute mark:

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