New Jersey’s 2,500 public schools will open their doors for the 2020-2021 school year, but classes will be unlike anything students and teachers have ever experienced before, state officials announced Friday.
Students will stay six feet apart in classrooms and on buses, lunch times will be staggered and teachers will be required to wear masks, according to sweeping new guidelines released by the state Department of Education.
Students will also be “strongly encouraged” to wear face coverings all day and will be required to wear them when they can’t maintain social distancing at school.
The new rules are part of a long-awaited “The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education” report compiled by state education officials that will serve as a blueprint as schools prepare for the return of the state’s 1.4 million students while the coronavirus pandemic continues.
State officials said they do not have a one-size-fits-all plan for reopening, so each of New Jersey’s 577 public school districts will have to weigh its options and come up with its own proposal that meets or exceeds the minimum guidelines. That could mean big changes to school schedules and start times.
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All districts will be required to have some form of in-person instruction, state officials said. So, keeping school buildings closed for district-wide remote learning is not an option. But schools can develop a “hybrid” model with both in-person and distance learning for students.
“This is an unprecedented time for our students and educators, but we are pleased to announce that we anticipate the return to our classrooms in some capacity this fall,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “The return to school will pose challenges, but we are confident that New Jersey’s school districts can move forward in a way that best serves the needs of their district while also achieving a safe environment for students and staff.”
Under the guidelines:
–All teachers, school staff members and visitors will be required to wear masks unless they can’t for health reasons. Students must also wear masks when they can’t stay six feet apart and are encouraged, but not required, to keep their face coverings on throughout the school day.
–Schools must “strive” for social distancing in the classroom and on school buses. If there is not enough room to keep students six feet apart, districts should consider physical barriers between desks and turning all desks all in the same direction. They should also consider installing barriers in buses.
–Students can eat lunch in school cafeterias, but meal times must be staggered to allow for social distancing and disinfecting. Self-service and buffet-style food service will not be allowed.
–Schools must set up a plan for screening students and staff for COVID-19 symptoms and work with the local health department and school nurses to use contact tracing to identify those who have come in contact with people who test positive. It will be up to districts if and how they want to test their entire staff for the coronavirus, state officials said.
–Floors and sidewalks should have tape and signs to help guide how students should walk to maintain social distancing in common areas and hallways. Schools also need to step up their cleaning and disinfecting schedules. Bathrooms must be cleaned and sanitized “between use as much as possible.”
–Recess and gym will be permitted, but school districts must limit the size of groups and mark off areas to “ensure separation between students.” Playground and other equipment must be disinfected between uses. Gym locker rooms will be closed.
— No indoor school sports will be allowed for the time being, state officials said. The guidelines do not detail when and how other school sports can begin. The governor previously announced outdoor youth sports could start resuming this month and other contact sports, including football, could follow next month. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, the governing body for high school sports, released its plan last week for coaches and athletes to begin summer conditioning, though locker rooms will not be available.
Murphy required the state’s schools to close March 18, leaving officials to scramble to set up distance-learning plans as students adjusted to learning from home.
Parents have been waiting for an announcement on if their children will return to school in the fall so families can make decisions about childcare and returning to work.
Each school district is expected to release its own reopening plan using the state guidance, meaning it could be several more weeks before students and their families know exactly how they will be returning to school.
The guidelines say districts should share their plans with families at least four weeks before the start of school to allow parents to plan.
The guidelines mean many districts will need to make difficult decisions about how to set up classrooms and other spaces for social distancing, along with how to create a bus schedule that allows for students to sit six feet apart.
“I understand this will be no easy feat,” state Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet said of the reopening plan.
State officials acknowledged getting young children or disabled students to keep masks on all day may be unrealistic. They also said it may be impossible to maintain social distancing on school buses.
Some districts may also need to stagger when the school day begins or modify school schedules, creating the need for more before- and after-school child care for families, state officials said.
The plan does not detail whether parents can opt their children out of going to school in person if they are not comfortable with the risk of infection. But, the education commissioner said school districts will have flexibility to meet the needs of their students.
“We hope that district leaders do not penalize students and parents who opt to use a remote level,” Repollet said.
Murphy said schools are expected to open on time in late August or early September, but school district schedules are controlled by their local school boards. They can make changes, as long as students go to school the 180 days required by the state, education officials said.
If coronavirus infection rates rise, school districts may need to abandon their plans and go back to distance learning, state officials warned.
“Because reopening is dependent upon health data and informed by experts in the health field, districts will need to be prepared to pivot to remote instruction at any time during the 2020-2021 school year,” the state’s announcement said.
From increased disinfecting to mandatory purchasing of personal protective equipment, the new requirements are expected to come with added costs for school districts, including many facing budget cuts due to a reduction in state funding.
“To the greatest extent possible, districts should consider making expenditure from various accounts or overbudgeted line items to meet unanticipated costs and to manage their cash flow,” the guidelines say.
Schools can also tap into emergency reserve funds, but the commissioner of the Department of Education needs to approve the requests, state officials said.
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Staff writer Adam Clark contributed to this report.
Kelly Heyboer may be reached at [email protected].
Matt Arco may be reached at [email protected].
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