Parents Fight Mask Mandate Continuation In South Orange-Maplewood Schools – Patch

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — After officials in the South Orange-Maplewood School District announced that they’d continue the district-wide mask mandate past March 7, a parent group has attended two school board meetings to urge a “mask optional” policy.

The parents from the “SOMA for Safe Return to School” group — which protested a year ago when Maplewood schools stayed remote into March — are now asking for four things to change on March 7, when the state of New Jersey lifts its own school mask mandate:

• Make masks optional in both indoor and outdoor school settings, not just outdoors as Maplewood has proposed,
• Remove Plexiglas partitions in the cafeterias,
• End the travel quarantine for unvaccinated students, and
• Implement “Test to Stay,” which allows unvaccinated but symptomless students who had COVID exposure to stay in school unless they test positive.

The group spoke out at both Thursday’s regular South Orange-Maplewood school board meeting and at a special session Monday night.

“While adults are socializing at bars, concerts and sporting events without masks, our children continue to carry the burden and are forced to operate in a highly restrictive environment,” said the group’s co-leader, Kate Walker, a South Orange parent of three, last week.

She added, “”It’s critical that we get rid of outdated measures like plexiglass dividers in the cafeteria – something that is no longer recommended by the state – and prioritize helping our children heal from the last two years of trauma.”

The group cited the increasing mental health challenges among kids due to pandemic stresses.

(The CDC has also noted that more than 140,000 children have lost a close caregiver to the virus.)

“These ongoing COVID restrictions are contributing to learning loss as well as a mental health crisis in our community,” added Gina Preoteasa, a South Orange parent of three. “Our kids have been living under socially repressive protocols.”

Preoteasa noted the district’s high vaccination statistics.

Last week, the district said that over 90 percent of teachers and staff are vaccinated, as are 75 percent of students age 5-11, and 90 percent of kids 12-18. Kids under 5 aren’t eligible for a vaccine yet.

The SOMSD dashboard has reported five new cases per week for the last two weeks. In late December, the number was 45 in one week.

The parent group shared quotes from students:

• “I really want to see my friends and teachers smile again,” said Isla, a second grader at Tuscan Elementary School in Maplewood.
• “Plastic dividers are absolutely terrible. They stop us from socializing. And everybody always complains about how we’re addicted to our Chromebooks. But the schools make us addicted to our Chromebooks,” said Jack, a sixth grader

The group called on Superintendent Dr. Ronald Taylor to make the changes they’re requesting.

What Will Change

District officials did say last week that masks will become optional for outdoor school activities like outside recess on March 7. READ MORE: Maplewood Schools To Continue Mask Mandate Past March 7.

The district cited the need for more guidance about other health measures, but also announced a schedule of certain “rollbacks” like removing Plexiglas dividers from classrooms.

Some districts near Maplewood, such as Millburn, will go mask-optional, but nearby Newark will keep its mask mandate in place for now.

“One of the key factors in our determination is that we are still awaiting guidance from state health and education officials,” said a message from the Maplewood district last week, “concerning how to prevent disease transmission and implement contact tracing and quarantining if the indoor mask mandate is lifted.”

They said that they’ll reassess the situation over Spring Break, April 11-15.

Parents Note Recent Changes

The parent group said this week that there have been several changes since the district sent out its message last Tuesday.

For one, Essex County is now considered “low” in terms of COVID activity levels.

Also, the state handed down a series of new recommendations on Feb. 22 for vaccinations, masks, and more.

Among them, the state said, “Circumstances in New Jersey have improved to the point where relaxation of universal masking rules in K-12 schools cangenerally occur. School administrators should be prepared for the emergence of new variants or substantial waning immunity that could once again lead to greater morbidity, mortality, and disruption….”

You can watch last Thursday’s board meeting here. The members of the parent group said they speak around 31:24, followed by Superintendent Taylor’s comments. There is a second round of parent speakers at 3:42:00.

There was also a special session Board of Education meeting Monday night. You can watch that here, and see the parents from the group at 14:00.

COVID Trends

In Maplewood there have been a total of 46 deaths of residents to the virus since the pandemic started. South Orange has lost 21 residents with the virus.

Children are less likely to get seriously ill with COVID than adults. However, the CDC has called children losing a parent to COVID a “hidden pandemic.”

And parents and children have experienced long COVID, as one North Jersey mom shared last year.

The state of New Jersey is urging parents to talk to their own pediatrician

about the right safety measures for their child.

People can get information about Essex County testing, vaccines, and boosters here.

Cases have started to come down in North Jersey since spiking in late December and January after the holidays.

In America, more than 951,000 people have died of COVID since the start of the pandemic. The daily death rate is highest right now in these states.

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