Mask Option Letter Criticized At School Board Meeting In Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Parents who attended Washington Township Schools’ board meeting on Tuesday night raised numerous concerns about what’s ahead in the school district following Gov. Phil Murphy’s announcement to lift the state’s school mask mandate on March 7.

Some addressed a letter Superintendent Peter Turnamian sent ahead of the meeting on Tuesday, describing it as “divisive.” A couple of parents who spoke said it was slanted in favor of students and staff who plan to stay masked after the district becomes mask optional on March 7.

A few parents suggested the letter discriminated against students and staff who plan to unmask.

Turnamian answered questions after the public comments were made, describing the feedback he has received from both sides of the issue as “raw.” He said many parents also emailed him to thank him for his letter.

“We will ensure our district continues to provide the leadership in the community that honors both sides of that [masking] decision,” Turnamian said at the meeting.

Parents also questioned aspects of the district's current COVID-19 policies.

One parent asked Turnamian if the district still planned to pursue a test-to-stay program, which was in limbo as of January, because of test result lags. Turnamian said he was in the process of contracting a mobile lab to open up a test-to-stay program, however, the case counts began dramatically dropping.

“There was simply no need or demand at that time to launch the test to stay program,” Turnamian said.

The district would consider the program, he said, if cases spike again in the future.

Others inquired if COVID-19 policies could be dropped altogether, citing the CDC and American Academy of Pediatrics recently encouraging a return to pre-COVID-19 classrooms.

Turnamian said the district’s goal throughout the pandemic has been to keep schools open. The district is waiting on guidance from New Jersey’s Department of Health about next steps, which he said will require careful review.

Watch the full meeting below:

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