Could New Jersey be facing masks and vaccine mandates again?

Most institutions have dropped their vaccine mandates in New Jersey. Plenty of people lost their jobs in government and healthcare for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine or its boosters.

Then again, some risked their health against their better judgment and took it to keep their jobs.

Rutgers University is still hanging onto its vaccine mandate.

There, 22 students have been refused admission for lack of compliance. State Sen. Declan O’Scanlon of Monmouth County pushed back hard against the university, calling it a ludicrous policy.

He came on our show Tuesday to reiterate the point. It makes no sense if the vaccines do not prevent someone from spreading COVID-19, which they do not, and it makes no sense to continue this nonsense over three years after COVID-19 emerged.

FILE - In this May 19, 2020, file photo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy wears a mask during his daily coronavirus news conference at the War Memorial in Trenton, N.J. (Chris Pedota/The Record via AP, Pool)

Plenty of people got the vaccine and plenty of people claim to have gotten seriously ill or some have said they know people have died. We could fill the phones with four hours' worth of calls from people who’ve either had serious side effects or know someone who died shortly after getting the vaccine.

So why would a university allegedly filled with learned people insist on such a stupid policy? That’s anybody’s guess.

President Biden said a new vaccine “that works“ will be coming out this fall and urged everyone to get it. There is talk of a new strain of COVID-19 that could be resistant to previous boosters and the vaccine.

Will the majority of New Jerseyans accept this and roll up their sleeves again? I’m hoping the majority of New Jersey residents, through their experience over the last three years, have seen and had enough.

But hey, if you’re looking forward to the latest booster, have at it. You do you!

New Jersey high school graduation rates

The lists below show 4-year graduation rates for New Jersey public schools for the 2020-21 school year. The statewide graduation rate fell slightly, from 91% in 2019-20 to 90.6%.

The lists, which are sorted by county and include a separate list for charter schools, also include a second graduation rate, which excludes students whose special education IEPs allow them to qualify for diplomas despite not meeting typical coursework and attendance requirements.

Columns with an asterisk or 'N' indicate there was no data or it was suppressed to protect student privacy.

Gallery Credit: Michael Symons

How much your school district gets under Murphy's proposed 2024 budget

Gov. Phil Murphy's porposed 2024 budget includes $1 billion in new spending for school funding including pre-K funding, pension and benefits, and an additional $832 million in K-12 aid, which is listed below by county and district.

Gallery Credit: Sergio Bichao/New Jersey 101.5

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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