Long Valley School Board Wants To Meet With Governor About Masks

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The majority of members of the Board of Education for Washington Township Schools are interested in exploring more into the exceptions for mask mandates.

After Gov. Phil Murphy imposed mandatory mask-wearing in schools throughout the state, regardless of vaccination status, the Board is going to request Murphy have a sit-down with the board, said its President Jessica DeCicco, who introduced the topic of mandatory masks early on at the Board Meeting this past Wednesday night.

She said it has been frustrating not only for their board but many others statewide that wrote to Murphy earlier in the summer asking he leave it up to districts and parents to decide if they should send their children to school in masks.

With many parents, including at the meeting, in support of the board’s pursuit to seek other options, DeCicco said the Board has been exploring “every avenue they are aware of” that could give parents more leeway in masking or unmasking their children.

However, both DeCicco and Board Attorney Stephen Fogarty emphasized that the mask mandate was an Executive Order, which in the State of New Jersey is a law, with Gov. Murphy considered the state’s executive authority under its Constitution.

Should a school district not follow Murphy’s Executive Order 251 mandating masking, Fogarty said a school district could lose its state aid and impair its liability insurance policy.

"Please don't mistake compliance for support," DeCicco added about the district's need to follow Murphy's Executive Order.

Fogarty said the school district is looking to adopt a policy that could clarify the exceptions, with DeCicco and other parents who spoke about their children with medical issues not having gotten a medical exemption to unmask.

DeCicco said one of her children has a cardiac issue that required surgery, which the extensive masking - confirmed by her child’s doctor - has lessened her child’s oxygen intake. DeCicco said the masking causes her child to have headaches and feel faint.

Asking Murphy to meet on the topic, DeCicco said, she hopes could be an option, stating that he had not taken into consideration the letters that School Boards throughout the state sent to him.

Board Member, Jill Mucerino, who said the board has been “working tirelessly to figure out a way to stand by the board majority position” on masks, has been collaborating with Fogarty to see if there are ways that parents can have more input.

“I want to be very clear, Washington Township Schools would never adopt a policy that would not be in compliance with the Executive Order,” Fogarty clarified.

The one board dissension came from Board Member Kiera Mitchell, who attended the meeting virtually and said it was the first time that she’d heard of the possibility of looking into other avenues.

“I do not agree with any loopholes or forming committees to go up against Governor Murphy,” Mitchell said. “To me it’s a moot point.”

Mitchell said the Executive Order for masks has support from the local Board of Health and school district’s pediatrician; and as a Board Member, she took an oath for students to “have a safe and healthy learning environment.”

“This board isn’t a medical or political board, we’re a policy-making board only,” Mitchell added, suggesting parents should be surveyed first, to ask if they’d like the board to challenge Trenton.

Should the Board decide to move forward with a policy, each student who has a medical concern would need the approval of the school nurses and district’s pediatrician for review, before it could be approved, Fogarty added, in what he called a “demonstrated need.”

Fogarty said should the Board come up with a policy, they’d need to convene by special meeting before the start of the school year for Washington Township students on Sept. 1.

The Board would need to suspend its parliamentary procedures to move forward to adopt any policy it may have, before the start of the school year, with any documents typically requiring two readings before adoption.

Several parents suggested to the board that they check with schools around the state, naming Wall Township among districts that have challenged Murphy’s mask mandate.

Michael Bellini was a parent who asked what would happen if a student refused to wear a mask at school and parents couldn’t be reached. He had concerns a child could be expelled, which Fogarty said would never be the case.

Fogarty said the school after offering the child a mask, would attempt to reach parents. If they couldn’t be reached, then the child would be treated as if they had a medical exemption and the school would work with the family to pick them up in a reasonable timeframe, without creating anxiety for the child, Fogarty continued.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Laura Morana said the district is working on additional protocol for circumstances that crop up like Bellini mentioned.

Bellini said the masks upset his child, who says they can’t socialize with teachers and other students, plus dislikes them because of health challenges they have. He said masks cause health, psychological and other issues.

“Please keep fighting for our kids,” Bellini said to the board.

RELATED: School Board Asks Governor To Unmask Long Valley Students

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.