On Friday August 6, Governor Murphy announced that masks will be required for New Jersey children grades K-12 for the start of the 2021 school year. Our children have spent the summer enjoying activities with family and friends mask-free. They have seen life return to normal in our community. Parents and children had started putting the hardships of last school year behind them and now remain wracked with anxiety as a new school year approaches. This is a complete pivot from what parents were told less than two months ago and as recently as early last week from the office of the governor.

In New Jersey alone, in the past 12 months while tragic, only 3 children have sadly passed with a COVID-19 diagnosis. To require such a major disruption and inhibition of a child’s social, emotional, physical and educational environment for such a minimal risk is confounding, to say the least.

In New Jersey our children are being subjected to the most stringent guidelines of any other group in the state. There is a growing concern that parents are losing their rights to do what is best for their children. We must stand up as parents and as a community and say enough is enough. Parents and caregivers - not the government - are responsible for making decisions about their children’s health and safety. Parents must have the option to consider all available evidence and the vast array of concerns beyond one discrete virus when making these decisions.

We DEMAND the option to make our own decisions as to whether our children should wear a mask to school.

Sign this petition and urge the Upper Township Board of Education and its administrators to take a stand against this mandate and advise the government that Upper Township will not comply and plans to continue to have an optional masking policy.