Stafford BOE Urges Governor To Rescind Mask Mandate In Schools

STAFFORD, NJ — The Stafford Township Board of Education is 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.

In a resolution approved by the school board in a 7-1 vote on Aug. 9, the board urged the state to give local districts the authority to decide whether students and staff need to wear masks in school.

Murphy announced two weeks ago 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.

"The Stafford Township Board of Education believes that the administration of public schools is best accomplished locally, by administrators and Board members most familiar with the strengths, weaknesses, wants and needs of the schools and the school community," the board of education wrote in the resolution. "The Stafford Township Board of Education is in the best position to quickly implement, remove, or revise COVID-19 mitigation strategies based on facts specific to the local region and school district."

The resolution was forwarded to Department of Education Acting Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan, Senate President Stephen Sweeney, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, 9th Legislative District representatives and Ocean County Executive County Superintendent Charles Muller.

The board of education will also send a letter to Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Education urging them to consider the suggestions proposed in the resolution.

The full meeting can be viewed online:

Keep up to date with what's happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.