INFO•ED (INFORMED NUTLEY FOR OPTIMAL EDUCATION) is a group of Nutley residents who have started this petition to support the implementation of the NJ State Mask Mandate within Nutley Township Schools.

All interested Nutley residents are welcome to sign this petition.

During the August 23rd meeting, the Nutley Board of Education voted to draft a letter to Gov. Murphy objecting to Executive Order 251, which mandates masking for students, teachers, staff, and visitors to public schools.

• Meeting Video https://youtu.be/tnP8N8TV_uo

Throughout the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, resourceful Nutley Board of Ed administrators, teachers and staff worked diligently and effectively to keep our children safe from the COVID infection. Despite these best efforts, evidence is mounting that limited in-person learning and school closures have serious negative impact on the learning and social development of students.

In-person learning has resumed as of the start of the new school year. Nutley Superintendent Dr. Julie Glazer has provided comprehensive delineation for implementing the NJ Dept.of Education Restart & Recovery Plan. https://www.nutleyschools.org/sites/default/files/Revised%208_19%20Nutley%20Public%20Schools%20Draft%20Restart%20and%20Re.pdf

We, the undersigned, support masking required in Executive Order 251, for students, teachers, staff, and visitors to our public schools--as it is a critical part of a layered prevention strategy to ensure that Nutley students can safely attend school in person.

We base our support on data, including the following facts:

• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has identified the Delta variant of COVID-19 as a highly contagious virus.  It has severe consequences across the country, shutting down schools in states without masking requirements and putting tens of thousands of children and teachers in quarantine.  
• According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nationally as of the first week in September, over 5 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic. Child cases have increased exponentially, with over 750,000 added between August 5 and September 2, 2021.
• Symptomatic illness among children can be serious. The rate of pediatric hospital admissions per 100,000 people is up by 600% since the Fourth of July, according to the CDC. A devastating snapshot has emerged from states which either prohibit or do not require masks in schools. The Children’s Hospital Association, representing America’s 220 children’s hospitals, states that the current COVID surges are having a significant negative impact on children, and the growing national pediatric hospital capacity crisis.
• Universal masking is an effective, critical measure to prevent COVID virus transmission for the protection of those who are not eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines, such as children under 12 years of age and school personnel, who are immunocompromised or have underlying health conditions that put them at high-risk for severe disease.
• Numerous studies (e.g. National Institute of Health studies, along with other peer reviewed scientific and academic research) have confirmed both the efficacy and necessity of mask wearing in combating the spread of COVID. Further, the American College of Physicians and American Academy of Pediatrics are in agreement with the Centers for Disease Control that universal masking should be required in schools, as part of a comprehensive public health strategy to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

How can we, as a school district, ignore the recommendations informed by scientific research, public health, and medical experts?

The Nutley Board of Education must act responsibly to support mandated masking rather than object to it -- given that all three indicators of infections, symptomatic illness, and hospitalization of children are up across the country, coupled with the unequivocal evidence that masking is an essential component in protection against the contagion of COVID. The Board must also listen to and give weight to Nutley residents who support of the NJ state mask mandate. Based on a recent Monmouth University poll, reports that “Fully two-thirds of registered voters (67%) -- and parents specifically (69%) – support the requirement that students, teachers, and staff in New Jersey schools wear face masks this year.” It is reasonable to suggest that Nutley residents’ opinions likely mirror these results.

We the undersigned concerned Nutley residents urge the Nutley Board of Education:

1. To recognize the grave consequences that objections to the New Jersey Executive Order 251 Mask Mandate will have to the health of our community -- especially our children
2. To reconsider and withdraw any proposed letter of objection
3. To vigorously enforce the mandatory masking for all students, teachers, staff and visitors to our Nutley schools

References:

https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-251.pdf​

https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/​

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-guidance.html​

https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#new-hospital-admissions​

https://www.childrenshospitals.org/-/media/Files/CHA/Main/Issues_and_Advocacy/Key_Issues/General/surge/president_biden_pediatric_capacity_challenges_letter_082621.pdf?la=en&hash=EF45AD4A04C476CD2FDCF190598B19B898AD49AE​

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7883189/​

https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_nj_082321/