The surge in Covid-19 cases in the township has spurred the school district to return to the mask mandate, as of May 23.

All students, faculty, staff and visitors must wear masks when inside district buildings or on school buses, according to a message that was sent to parents and is available on the district’s web site.

“This mask requirement also pertains to extra-curricular activities and events held inside district buildings,” according to the message.

The return to the mask mandate was hinted at in a May 13 letter from schools Superintendent John Ravally.

In his letter, Ravally said the increase in Covid-19 cases and a change in the CDC’s classification in the Somerset “Community Level” from green, or low, to yellow, or medium, prompted the district to “highly encourage” everyone who enters a school building to wear a mask.

“If Somerset County and/or Franklin School District numbers continue to show an increase in Covid-19 cases and an elevated CALI score and Community Level in the next week, as per our policy and after consultation with the local health department, the district will reinstate the universal mask mandate in district-owned buildings and/or on district-contracted/owned buses on Monday, May 23, 2022,” Ravally said in his letter.

Ravally has said that the mandate will be reviewed regularly.