Montgomery Township board hears mixed public comments on mask rules as district awaits county guidance

Montgomery Township — Members of the public urged opposing positions on masking as the Montgomery Township School District signaled it will wait for county and state guidance before setting a final policy for full-time, in-person instruction in September.

At a July board meeting, several residents asked the board either to require masks or to make them optional. "I don't see how you can force the kids to wear it if you don't show us they are safe," resident Gabriela Zayova told the board, adding she wanted data showing masks benefit children and do not cause harm.

"I would like to request that the board consider making masks optional for all staff and students and allow parents to make the choice for their own children," parent Jennifer Dressler said, while acknowledging she was not presenting medical data. By contrast, Francine Pfeffer, another resident, said the more-contagious Delta variant made masking necessary: "I fear ... we won't be able to keep schools open unless we use all possible mitigation strategies including masking," she said, and asked the district to consider pooled testing.

Board President Mary said the district will not act unilaterally on masks. "What we're going to do is we're going to wait for the health departments," she told the meeting, and said district leaders will "look at each school as individual schools, and follow the guidelines, parameters, recommendations, and come up with our protocols for each building and for our staff." She said the district expects a uniform letter from the Somerset County health departments and that the district will align building protocols to that guidance.

Superintendent McLaughlin, in an earlier report, confirmed the district plans a full day of in-person instruction starting in September and said the district will communicate details on masking, lunch protocols and quarantine rules after county and state agencies issue recommendations. McLaughlin also said the district would schedule a public forum to answer questions and that school leaders will meet with the district leadership team in the coming weeks to finalize plans.

Residents raised several practical questions: some asked whether clear masks for younger grades would be provided so children could see teachers’ mouths; Mary said the district had not planned a universal purchase but would look into whether clear masks would be beneficial. Pfeffer asked whether pooled testing was under consideration; she cited Department of Health materials that she said described turnkey testing programs and pool testing used by some schools.

Board members and the Montgomery Township Education Association president, Jim Dolan, who participated in the meeting, said staff, union leaders and principals would be part of planning, and that the district must remain nimble as federal and state guidance evolves.

The board did not take a vote on a mask policy at the meeting. Administrators said a final local policy will be based on the county health departments’ uniform guidance and that the district will tier building-level protocols by local conditions.

The district said it will communicate specific masking and quarantine procedures to families after it receives county recommendations and completes internal planning, and that a public forum will be scheduled so parents can ask questions and the district can explain its protocols.