Kids will only get a half day of in-person instruction a week under a reopening plan proposed by Old Bridge Township Public Schools this week.
Students will be divided into three cohorts, spending either Monday, Wednesday or Friday mornings in school with Tuesdays and Thursdays reserved for remote learning, requiring the teachers to not be in school.
The plan — which may be one of the most minimalist in-person proposals in the state — was presented to families in a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. James Tuohy, the district’s executive director of educational programs, explained during the meeting that it takes into account a districtwide survey that showed approximately half of all families and staff expressing discomfort toward returning to school.
Families said in the districtwide survey that their main concerns are people coming into school sick, the cleanliness of buildings and social distancing.
“The district return to school committee believes that the 33% capacity plan will allow for all three of those areas to be addressed on a clear and concise basis each and every week,” Tuohy said over Zoom on Tuesday.
From a presentation to families on July 28, Old Bridge Public Schools present a tentative schedule with three cohorts of students coming in for one day of in-person instruction a week and a fourth fully remote cohort.
Not yet finalized, the plan still requires the local Board of Education and state Department of Education approval.
In addition to the three cohorts, the plan includes a number of other provisions. Prior to entering the building, everybody will have their temperature checked and be required to wear a mask. Nine out of ten teachers surveyed by the district expressed their desire to see students wearing masks.
The district has already replaced all HVAC filters that were in service and is assessing their equipment to ensure air quality and ventilation is functioning properly to prevent the spread of the virus, according to Superintendent David Cittadino. On days with extreme heat, schools will opt for remote learning instead of in-person instruction.
Whenever possible, students would be placed in the same cohort as their siblings, the district said.
Tuohy outlined what he said are the advantages of the plan on Tuesday: The buildings would be available for cleaning twice a week, students could receive more specialized instruction during their day of in-person learning, the district could maximize social distancing and the plan is easily scalable.
The local teachers’ union seemed to endorse the plan while pointing to other concerns about the state’s response.
“The district leadership has worked to create the best plan they can,” wrote Old Bridge Education Association President Tim O’Neill in an email to NJ Advance Media. “However, there are many constraints that are out of the district’s control. Schools can only open safely if they get additional support and guidance from the state and if the virus is under control in our towns and throughout NJ. Ultimately, as important as education is, it is not more important than anyone’s life.”
Old Bridge’s 33% hybrid plan was devised prior to Gov. Phil Murphy’s surprise announcement earlier this month that schools must provide a remote-only option for families. Without altering their plan substantially, the district added in a fourth cohort of remote-only students to their proposal.
“As the stewards of the schools, we must follow our directives and provide a plan,” Cittadino said on Tuesday. “But within that plan, I promise you along the way, that I exercised the greatest level of caution when putting something together that’s going to impact our students and our beloved staff.”
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Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
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Students will go to school just one half-day a week under N.J. district’s reopening plan - nj.com
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