PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Masks as protection against the spread of COVID-19 will be optional in New Jersey public schools, and policy decisions will be made locally, starting March 7. Some school districts have already made decisions for or against masks. Others are still weighing the options, and some administrators want more help from the state.
Willingboro and Camden are among the districts that have already said masks will continue to be required. Camden superintendent Katrina McCombs says they aren’t in a position yet to make masks optional.
“We just want to be extra careful, to make sure that we are not contributing to any community spread,” McCombs said.
“Many of us are facing masking fatigue, and so what we are going to do is to just continue to message that we’re trying to make sure everyone stays safe.”
And she says she wants to avoid any additional absences from COVID-19.
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Millville Superintendent Tony Trongone is leaning towards making masks optional, but he says he will take the next two weeks or so to carefully consider everything.
Trongone is also the newly elected president of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and he says many other administrators would like more guidance and support from the state on this.
“We get paid to make tough decisions, but in regard to this, I’m not a health expert,” Trongone said. “Give us some guidance, and this way, we can follow that guidance. You know, we all want to make sure we have a safe and orderly learning environment.”
That masks have become a political issue, he says, also makes it more difficult.
Plus, other questions remain that haven’t been addressed at the state level: “How will we track COVID-like symptoms and COVID-like illnesses? Will we still maintain contact tracing? Will we still be doing testing?”
Trongone says Millville will release the district policy on Feb. 28.
All Catholic schools in South Jersey will be mask optional.