Latest Updates On Masks, Vaccines For South Brunswick Schools

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The South Brunswick School District will follow New Jersey's guidance when it comes to masking and other COVID-19 safety protocols, Superintendent Scott Feder announced. For the upcoming school year beginning Sep. 9, students, teachers, staff, and visitors are required to always wear masks at school buildings and on school buses.

"Masks will be required to be worn by all students and staff including all visitors to our buildings as per the Governor’s Executive Order 251 that states that students and staff in K-12 schools will be required to wear masks at the start of the school year," Feder said in a letter to the school community.

At this time, outdoor mask-wearing is "not mandatory," Feder said. "However, we will be watching closely and making a final decision on this closer to the beginning of the school year."

A student who "willfully chooses to not wear their mask will be subject to the school’s code of conduct and will face similar consequences to other school infractions," the letter said. For students who "legitimately struggle" to wear masks, the district will work with them and possibly their families to help them get acclimatized to full-day mask-wearing.

Exceptions to the mask mandates include health issues, trouble breathing, documented medical condition, or disability among others.

The school district will be imposing social distancing in lunchrooms to mitigate the spread of the virus. Schools have been redoing their schedules and redesigning lunch facilities and locations to accommodate social distancing. "I want to be honest in saying that 100% capacity spaces do not readily lend themselves to social distancing," Feder said. "Modifications are being made, but this is an area of concern for the schools as we manage the Governor’s directive of full capacity schools for full days."

The district said it does not have any vaccine mandate for students or staff. "The district plans to follow all State and Federal mandates regarding vaccines. If there is a change at any time to require vaccinations, we will inform the public immediately," Feder said in the letter.

Unlike a few other school districts, South Brunswick will discontinue the use of daily health forms and temperatures for the upcoming school year. "The school community has demonstrated its compliance with these daily protocols, keeping students home and staff remaining home when exhibiting any COVID- related symptoms, which in turn has kept our South Brunswick community a safe place," Feder said. However, daily email reminders will be sent out to parents to ensure the child is symptom-free before sending them to school.

South Brunswick schools will continue with their quarantine practices in case a student tests positive for COVID-19. Students in quarantine will learn virtually, but in general, the school district will not be offering any virtual learning as the state mandates all schools to offer in-person learning only.

Feder told Patch he will be updating the School Board and the public at the next BOE meeting on Aug. 26. The superintendent said he will also provide an update each month at a Board meeting "where the public will have time to provide public comment on such matters."

On Aug. 6, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that all New Jersey students, educators, staff, and visitors will have to mask up in school buildings - regardless of vaccination status.

Read More Here: NJ K-12 Students Must Wear Masks This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

The Hopatcong School District recently sent a letter to Murphy saying while the school district plans to follow his Executive Order on masking this fall, districts should be able to make their own decisions on masking.

Meanwhile, the Stafford Township Board of Education calling on Governor Phil Murphy to rescind the new mask mandate for schools, arguing that local districts should have the authority to decide whether masks need to be optional or mandatory.

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