LACEY – Lacey Township is the latest district to ask for the governor’s mask mandate to be rescinded before school starts in September.
“As we are familiar with our community, our buildings, and what has been effective in limiting the spread, New Jersey should resume its policy of deference to local officials to do what is right for their schools,” Superintendent Vanessa Clark said.
Lacey will continue to follow any mandate that the state sets forward, but is requesting that the mask requirement is dropped.
Gov. Phil Murphy announced the mandate early in August.
The Centers for Disease Control and epidemiologists have shown that wearing masks slows the spread of the virus; the mask is most effective if the person wearing it is sick. Some people can be carriers of the virus without having symptoms, or have the virus even after being vaccinated. Booster shots are now being planned for high-risk people as the vaccinations are starting to prove less effective as time goes on.
As of right now, there is no vaccine for children of elementary school age.
“While the number of cases appear to be on the rise in general while schools have remained closed, the CDC has found, ‘Although outbreaks in schools can occur, multiple studies have shown that transmission within school settings is typically lower than – or at least similar to – levels of community transmission, when prevention strategies are in place in schools.’ Our district carefully balanced prevention strategies and gradually removed some in a manner that kept school transmission levels at the absolute minimum while successfully increasing in-person instruction,” Clark wrote to the governor.
Her letter outlined steps the district has taken, such as making the vaccine available to staff who want it, investing in PPE, infrastructure improvements, and training to return to full-day instruction.
“In many ways, you have entrusted us with this responsibility by providing a framework for our reopening plan while allowing us to operate within the individuality of our community,” she said.
Other districts around the state, such as Brick Township, have also requested that the mandate be dropped.
