Many NJ Schools Reinstate Masks, Where Does South Brunswick Stand?

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — As COVID-19 cases spike across the state, a growing number of New Jersey schools are reinstating mask mandates.

This week, one of the state’s largest school districts, Trenton Public Schools, asked students, staff and visitors to mask up after a “significant” increase in coronavirus cases in the area. Read More: Mercer County's Largest School District Reinstates Mask Mandate

Every county in New Jersey is now reporting "high" COVID-19 activity for the week ending May 21, according to the NJ Department of Health. So where does that leave the South Brunswick School District?

Although the school year is coming to an end, district officials are doing all they can to mitigate the spread of the virus.

"As far as our COVID numbers, they began to rise. But it's not just South Brunswick, it's everywhere,” Superintendent Scott Feder said during the last Board of Education meeting on May 26.

In his ‘Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service’ presentation, Feder told the board and community the district was adopting a “targeted masking” approach.

“We've had to mask classes, we've had to mask grades, we've had to mask events. The biggest thing we still stick with is targeted. We're not doing wholesale masking,” Feder said. “We're not getting overly ambitious with all that, however, we are concerned.”

Feder said the district was taking a “cautionary approach” to large events, and that in case of “smush events” where there isn’t enough space to separate people, the district might consider masking "depending on the number, and depending on the situation.”

"We're done trying to make kids miss things. If they (district officials) feel that masking will be a helpful mitigation strategy that would keep kids and staff in school, that's when they would make that decision,” Feder said.

With senior prom and graduation fast approaching, the district has moved many events virtual to safeguard students and staff, Feder said. He noted that many families are upset with the COVID-19 family quarantine rule, and often school nurses get yelled at. “It’s tough, it wears down people. But we are getting close to the finish line."

Board member Barry Nathanson asked Feder if students and parents would be asked to mask up for graduation. Feder said it was too early to make that decision.

"The thing about making a decision about masks - it can literally be made the day before or the day of. So saying it now is premature," Feder said.

The Superintendent said the decision will be made depending on the situation - what do the COVID-19 numbers look like, how is the community faring - but he was "not rushing to that decision at all."

Neighboring Princeton Public Schools reinstated mask requirements on May 16, with district officials citing increased COVID-19 cases and guidance from the Princeton Department of Health.

Metuchen schools announced a return to an indoor mask mandate earlier this month, with Superintendent Vincent Caputo saying the requirement will be "reconsidered on a week-by-week basis."

Middlesex County on Thursday reported 364 new confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, 119 new probable cases and one hospital-reported death.

For the week ending May 22, 10,948 COVID-19 cases were reported across New Jersey schools.

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