When New Jersey released its guidelines for reopening public schools earlier this summer, state officials acknowledged it wasn’t going to be easy to social distance in classrooms, at lunch and in hallways.
It was clear that most of New Jersey’s 2,500 public schools simply lacked the room to squeeze everyone inside while staying six feet apart.
So, the state guidelines included suggestions for split schedules and rotations in which a half or a third of a school district’s students would come to class every fews days or alternating weeks while their classmates stayed home remote learning. Most of New Jersey’s nearly 600 school districts say they are instituting versions of those “hybrid” plans for the 2020-2021 school year.
But a few local districts say they have found a way to bring some or all students back to class five days a week— to the relief of many parents concerned about childcare. (All public school families also still have the option of all-remote learning if they don’t want their kids back in class.)
Here’s a sampling of the proposals in eight local school districts where student will be in class five days a week:
Hoboken
Proposed plan: Five days a week, full days
How they’re doing it: The 2,800-student district overlooking the New York City skyline in Hudson County came up with its ”full-day traditional onsite learning” reopening plan after “intense planning,” the superintendent said in a letter to parents. For classrooms and areas where students can’t be kept six feet apart, the district has purchased barriers. “The Hoboken Public School District will employ the use of desk shields in classrooms and in main offices,” the district’s plan says.
Lakewood
Proposed plan: Five days a week, full days
How they’re doing it: Lakewood is one of the state’s most unique school districts because 37,000 students in the Ocean County municipality, home to a large Orthodox Jewish community, go to private school. The district’s 6,500 public school students should go back to school for full days, five days a week because many come from low-income families with parents who need to work, the superintendent said. The district plans to spend more than $1 million to lease temporary modular units to house eight new classrooms to help with social distancing. It’s also purchasing nearly $1 million worth of plexiglass shields and desk barriers to keep students protected when they can’t sit six feet apart.
Califon
Proposed plan: Five days a week, full days
How they’re doing it: The Hunterdon County borough has one of the smallest school districts in the state with just 79 students in a single pre-K to 8th grade school. The low number of students and the 4-to-1 teacher-to-student ratio mean it will be relatively simple to maintain social distancing, district officials said. The school will be staggering arrival and dismissal times and requiring students to have lunch in their classrooms. The school also has extra space, so it’s offering a tuition program for students who want to attend from other towns. Rates range from $6,500 to $7,000 for the year.
Summit
Proposed plan: Five days a week, half days
How they’re doing it: All of the Union County district’s nearly 4,000 students can come back to school five days a week, through they will only be in class four hours a day, under Summit’s proposed plan. The students will also receive some remote instruction in the afternoons at home for the remainder of the school day. There will be no lunch served at the schools to eliminate the problem of socially distancing in crowded cafeterias.
Millburn
Proposed plan: Five days a week, half days (elementary students only)
How they’re doing it: The Essex County district, which ranks annually as one of the highest-achieving school districts in the state, has proposed a plan to bring its elementary school students to school five days a week on a split schedule. Half of the students will go to class in the morning for 2 1/2 hours with no lunch or recess. Then, the rest of the elementary students will arrive for a similar afternoon session. The students will get an additional 1 1/2 hours of virtual learning at home. The plan doesn’t apply to middle and high school students who will split into two groups and go to class on alternating days for five hours a day.
Cranford
Proposed plan: Five days a week, half days (elementary students only)
How they’re doing it: The 3,850-student suburban Union County district proposed a plan for elementary students to go to class five days a week for a half day with no lunch or recess and some remote learning in the afternoon. Pre-K and Kindergarten will only go to school for 2 1/2 hours a day. Middle school and high school students will not be on the five-day-a-week schedule. They will be split into two groups, with one section attending class Monday, Wednesday and alternating Fridays and the other group attending Tuesday, Thursday and alternating Fridays. They will livestream their classes on their laptops on days they are remote learning at home.
Hazlet
Proposed plan: Five days a week, half days (elementary students only)
How they’re doing it: The Monmouth County district, with more than 2,800 students, has proposed sending its elementary school students to school for a half day, five days a week. Hazlet has added teachers to some grades to reduce class sizes and will be using large spaces at its schools and plexiglass barriers to help separate desks. Middle school and high school students will go to class two days a week for half days and spend the rest of the week at home remote learning, according to the plan.
Newark
Proposed plan: Various options, including five-days-a-week of full-time, in-person classes (but details haven’t been finalized)
How they’re doing it: As the state’s largest school district, with more than 40,000 students, Newark officials may have one of the most difficult jobs crafting a reopening plan. District officials recently released preliminary plans that said families will have the option of all-remote learning, five days a week of in-person classes or a hybrid plan where students split their time between remote learning and going to school. But the plans did not specify if all options will be available at all schools. Letters from individual school principals will be sent to families Aug. 7 with more details, Newark school district officials said. Three-sided desk partitions, staggered recess times and lunches delivered to classrooms on disposable trays will be used to help keep students separated.
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Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.
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The Link LonkAugust 02, 2020 at 06:20AM
https://www.nj.com/education/2020/08/these-nj-districts-plan-to-send-kids-back-to-school-5-days-a-week-heres-how-theyre-doing-it.html
These N.J. districts plan to send kids back to school 5 days a week. Here’s how they’re doing it. - NJ.com
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