On behalf of the state of New Jersey allowing schools to not require masks, Princeton Public Schools district made the decision to remove the mask mandate starting March 7, 2022.  

   Over the past two years, schools and communities have required masks in most public spaces. Many people believe that masks have become a part of life, including Ruchira Banerjee ’22. 

   “I wouldn’t leave my house without bringing a mask everywhere I went,” said Banerjee. “It did become the new normal, at least for me and my life, and I think at school as well.”

   One main reason that the mandate was lifted is that over 88 percent of all people aged 12 and over in Princeton are fully vaccinated. Additionally, over the past three weeks, the overall number of COVID-19 cases in the school district decreased to only around five to seven cases per week. 

   However, these low numbers still didn’t mean that the decision was an easy one for the administration. Due to the complexity of this resolution, the Board of Education worked in close collaboration with the Superintendent of Schools as well as Dr. Robert Helmrich, the PPS district physician, to ensure that the decision came at the right time.

   “Expert advice is solicited from individuals including me and the Princeton Township Health Officer.  Specifically for COVID, a Health and Safety Committee has been assembled to evaluate issues and make decisions,” Helmrich said.

   Throughout the decision process, Helmrich supported the optional masking policy for the school district. However, he believes the district needs to be flexible if the number of cases changes or if there’s another outbreak.

   “If these factors begin to trend in a less favorable direction, we would need to reevaluate all of our COVID-19 policies, including masking,” said Helmrich. “But it is reasonable to expect that there should not be a significant increase in cases, as long as overall COVID-19 activity in our community remains low.”

   The lifting of the mask mandate also benefited students in different ways. Aaron Thayer, an English teacher at Princeton High School, noticed a difference in the energy of the students in the hallways after the mandate was lifted.

   “I really have felt that students’ lives have become really blank and bleak,” said Thayer. “With a mask off, there is a lot more social interaction and more emotional triggering of people … It seems like enthusiasm is way up.”