Masks Optional In West Orange Schools, Buses: Superintendent

WEST ORANGE, NJ -- Masks will be optional for students and staff in the West Orange Public School District beginning March 7, officials say.

On Monday, Superintendent Scott Cascone announced the new mask policy, which will apply to all students and staff PreK-12 in all outdoor and indoor settings, as well as on school buses.

Cascone wrote:

"I hope this finds you all well. From the onset of the pandemic, our district has followed the mandates of the governor, as well as the recommendations provided to us through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NJDOH and local Health Departments. As you are aware, Governor Murphy announced that as of March 7, masks will no longer be mandated in public schools. This news shared through the Governor’s office has now provided us with an end-date to his Executive Order and our district with greater flexibility for addressing masking within our schools. Further, we received word today that the NJDOH has aligned its recommendations for masking on school buses with the previously revised guidelines from the CDCreleased on February 25, 2002."

The superintendent continued:

"Therefore, effective Monday, March 7, masks will be optional for all students and staff PreK-12 in all outdoor and indoor settings, as well as on school buses. This decision was based on the continued low in-school transmission and quarantine rates, the continued drop in new cases and hospitalizations, the growth in the vaccination rates for our school-aged population, and the current level of transmission as reflected in the weekly COVID-19 activity report which places the northeast region in the low level of transmission and low level of risk or green."

According to Cascone:

"The mask optional policy will remain in place, until such time that the community were to elevate back into either the high or highest levels of risk. To this end, the COVID-19 activity report will be reviewed on a weekly basis. Any change to the mask policy for the following week will be communicated to the community in a weekly update from the superintendent on Friday in preparation for the following Monday. The district physician and local Department of Health were consulted to inform this decision and have concurred that it is both a prudent and appropriate approach at this time."

Cascone added:

"In my meetings this week with principals, and with school nursing staff, we will be reviewing any corresponding implications for our other safety protocols. In addition, we will be discussing the importance of messaging assertively to our students the importance of respecting one another‘s decisions with regard to mask wearing. At this time of policy change, we must come together as a community and bring understanding and empathy for the different perspectives. While we do not anticipate an issue, students found to be engaging in demeaning or derogatory behavior towards classmates with regard to their choice to mask or not, will be dealt with swiftly under the school’s student codes of conduct and district anti-bullying policies."

"As always, our administration will continue to monitor our county and district data to ensure that changes in our protocols do not adversely affect our staff and student population," Cascone concluded.

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