Barnegat BOE: Local COVID Data Should Decide Mask Rules

BARNEGAT, NJ — The Barnegat Township Board of Education is calling on Governor Phil Murphy to let school districts decide if masks are needed in classrooms this fall based on local COVID data.

In a letter sent to Murphy’s office on Monday, Board of Education President Sean O’Brien argued that the way local data was used to determine when to transition to remote or in-person learning should also be used to let each district decide if masks are necessary in schools.

“The decision matrix started as a way to help the community and staff understand how decisions are made when planning virtual or in-person learning,” O’Brien wrote. “The matrix has evolved to best support the children, staff and families of our district. Now it can help in our decisions on screening and PPE requirements as well.”

According to O’Brien, the data in the matrix will be updated weekly.

Two months ago, when Murphy announced that school districts could determine whether masks would be optional or mandatory for the 2021-2022 school year, Superintendent Brian Latwis had said data would continue to guide the school district’s decision regarding face masks.

Latwis told Patch that the school district would not mandate masks this fall if the town's coronavirus rates continued to remain in the low risk category.

"We have, and will continue to, prioritize safety of staff and students and to ensure we are putting everyone in the best possible state to learn and grow," Latwis said.

However, local districts lost their authority to make those decisions two weeks ago. Murphy announced that all students, educators, staff and visitors will be required to wear face masks indoors for the start of the 2021-2022 school year as the delta variant spurs an increase in coronavirus cases.

Executive Order 251 mandates masking in the indoor premises of all public, private, and parochial preschool, elementary, and secondary school buildings, with limited exceptions.

In the Board of Education’s letter to Murphy, O’Brien said the state mandate regarding students and staff wearing masks at school should be re-evaluated and left up to local districts “if data continues to trend in the right direction.” According to O'Brien, the daily case count for the school district is "significantly lower" than it was at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year.

“We believe we could safely take the next big step in getting back to normal,” O’Brien said. “Within our respective reopening plans we urge you to allow districts to decide if masks are a necessity based on local data. We welcome state leadership's support in choosing responsible data driven metrics that will enable our local school districts to make the best decision for their local community.”

The Barnegat Township School District is one of several districts in southern Ocean County calling on Murphy to re-evaluate the school mask mandate.

Related: Stafford BOE Urges Governor To Rescind Mask Mandate In Schools

Berkeley BOE Calls On Governor To Rescind Mask Mandate In Schools

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