Fewer COVID Rules As Princeton Schools Prepare For 2022-23 School Year

PRINCETON, NJ — Hundreds of students are preparing to fill the hallways and classrooms come Sept. 6, the first day of the official 2022-23 school year. For the new school year, Princeton Public Schools has eased COVID-19 restrictions, much in line with CDC's revised guidance.

During Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, Director of Student Services Micki Crisafulli made a presentation on the new health and safety guidance.

Masks are no longer mandated but suggested for students and staff who are immunocompromised and at risk of getting sick.

Although PPS does not anticipate mandatory masking, during high community transmission levels and increased spread in classrooms, PPS will follow the health department’s guidance on masking.

Regardless of vaccination status, students and staff who experience COVID-19 symptoms will have to test. If positive, they need to isolate for five days. If symptoms resolve, the student or staff can return on day 6, but they have to be masked from day 6 to day 10.

Students who are unwilling to mask on days 6 through 10 must stay home and return on day 11.

The school district will also be implementing the test-to-stay program, where unvaccinated students or staff will have to test if they are in close contact with a COVID-19 positive person.

“If the test is negative, the child can continue to come to school, which is very different than last year,” Crisafulli said. If the test is positive, they need to isolate for 5 days, and return on day 6 only if the test is negative.

Following Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent executive order, PPS will not be testing staff weekly. More: NJ To Drop COVID Testing Mandates: Latest Details

However, remote learning will not be available for individual students if they have to stay home due to COVID-19.

“If we have an outbreak and a class has to go remote, for that group remote learning will occur. But individual remote learning will not occur because we're cutting down on the amount of time kids are out of school,” Crisafulli said.

“We want kids to be home if they're sick, but it is very difficult for teachers to do one student remote.”

The school district has asked parents and guardians to be diligent when screening children for COVID-19. Students and staff are encouraged to stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines, but PPS will also host vaccine clinics within the school district.

The new guidance will be uploaded on the school district's website.

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