Masks At Westfield Schools To Be Optional 'In Most Instances'

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield Superintendent Dr. Raymond González delivered an update on the upcoming mask policy that will go into effect at Westfield Schools at Tuesday night's Board of Education meeting.

In lieu of Gov. Phil Murphy's recent announcement to lift the school mask mandate beginning March 7, González said masks will be optional at Westfield Schools "in most instances." While cases have significantly decreased throughout the district, González said there may be a number of exceptions to the "mask optional" policy.

González said he was not comfortable announcing a mask-optional policy at the previous Board meeting, as it was fresh off the governor's announcement, and he did not have the proper information.

"It's still unclear what the full impact of the governor's lifting of the universal mask mandate will be on March 7, however, at a minimum there are some things that we definitely do know," González said.

Both local and state COVID activity have decreased significantly, González said, and the COVID Activity Level Index for Westfield's region is yellow, which is moderate. This has not been the case for the region since the summer.

As recently as last month, Westfield was in the red zone — the most severe and highest level of activity.

Because of this significant decrease, González said he is comfortable making the decision to go "mask-optional" in most instances.

"In most cases, I can tell you that the opportunity for staff and students to make those decisions for themselves, along with their families will be certainly something that we will support and we will encourage everyone to respect," González said.

In terms of exceptions to the policy, González said all public transportation still requires masking on school buses, according to the federal government. Masks will not be optional for students on buses because of the federal mandate.

González also said he is waiting on guidance from the Department of Health to decide whether to incorporate masks when making decisions about isolation or quarantine.

Currently, if a student tests positive for COVID-19, they must isolate for five days. Then, if they are asymptomatic, they can return to school, but they would be required to wear a mask with the current mask mandate.

However, if the mask-optional policy is enforced as of March 7, but Westfield's "return-to-school policy" still requires a student to wear a mask, this would be considered an exception.

Likewise, individuals who are close contacts to someone who tests positive have had to wear masks up until this point. With the mask-optional policy, González said the district is still waiting on guidance to make a decision about mask requirements for close contacts.

"While I don't expect the lifting of the mask mandate to mark the immediate end of our mitigation efforts, it's certainly a sign for a brighter future for all of us," González said.

"But we also recognize that the March 7 transition will bring mixed emotions and experiences for everyone. Therefore, it will be critical for our schools to work with our staff, students and families to ensure that everyone's personal decision is respected and that we continue to support one another as we make this transition."

Many parents spoke out against at the last school board meeting and were reprimanded by the Board for ordering pizzas and taking off their masks.

Read more: Westfield Parents Test Mask Policy With Pizza Delivery At Meeting

The full Board of Education meeting from Tuesday can be watched on YouTube.

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