Masks In Millburn: 'Staff Will Not Be Monitoring Students Wearing Masks' Monday

MILLBURN, NJ — As some school districts prepare to go mask-optional this coming Monday, they also have to look at how to handle aspects of the change. Millburn Superintendent of Schools Christine Burton released guidance Thursday for when the Millburn schools become mask-optional Monday.

She noted that for families who want their children to continue masking, it is the student's responsibility to wear the mask, and "staff will not be monitoring students wearing masks."

But Burton also made sure to note, as the first protocol, "We will support and respect the choices made by our students and staff."

Masks may still be required in some situations, Burton noted. For instance, students may be required to wear them in school health offices, and after returning from quarantine.

Sara Potler LaHayne, the founder of the preK-12 social emotional learning curriculum Move This World, said this week that as mask mandates change in New Jersey and New York, educators and families should "practice empathy to build an understanding of the experiences of others. We’ve all experienced different realities during the pandemic."

Other Changes Locally And Statewide

Find out more about Millburn's rules on the district website.

Many area schools, such as Livingston, are also going mask-optional starting Monday. South Orange-Maplewood will continue masking for now, something a parent group there has protested.

The state of New Jersey is urging parents to talk to their own pediatrician about the right safety measures for their child.

Statewide Changes

The state handed down a series of new recommendations on Feb. 22 for vaccinations, masks, and more.

Among them, the state said, "Circumstances in New Jersey have improved to the point where relaxation of universal masking rules in K-12 schools can generally occur. School administrators should be prepared for the emergence of new variants or substantial waning immunity that could once again lead to greater morbidity, mortality, and disruption...."

People can get information about Essex County testing, vaccines, and boosters here.

Children are less likely to get seriously ill with COVID than adults. However, the CDC has called children losing a parent to COVID a "hidden pandemic." And parents and children have experienced long COVID, as one North Jersey mom shared last year.

In America, more than 955,000 people have died of COVID since the start of the pandemic. The daily death rate is highest right now in these states.

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