Woodbridge Schools Make Masks Optional Starting Monday

Woodbridge NJ

03 March, 2022

2:36 PM

Description

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — On Thursday, the Woodbridge school district announced that masks will be optional in all schools as of this Monday, March 7. On Feb. 9, Gov. Murphy said his school mask mandate was going to be lifted starting March 7; it is not clear why the Woodbridge school district waited until this week to either make or announce its decision on masks. The reason for the delay is unknown. "Students, staff and visitors in our district will have the option of wearing a mask within our schools and on district-provided transportation," wrote superintendent Joseph Massimino in this letter Thursday. "We appreciate the community's ongoing support and look forward to this new transition in our school buildings on March 7," he wrote. While Murphy's school mask mandate is ending, some New Jersey school districts have decided they will still require masks. They are mostly large urban districts that receive significant state and federal aid. So far, some of the NJ school districts keeping mask requirements in place are: New BrunswickNewarkPatersonEast OrangePlainfieldSouth Orange-Maplewood The situation will likely change "significantly" by early May, said New Brunswick schools superintendent Aubrey Johnson on Wednesday of this week. "Ventilation improves significantly because warmer, spring weather will allow for classroom windows to be opened," Johnson said. Also by that time, the winter flu season will be over, he said. Get great local news. Sign up to get Patch emails: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this Patch reporter: [email protected]