Mask Breaks Part of Point Boro's Back To School Plan

POINT PLEASANT, NJ – The Point Pleasant School District released its opening plan for the upcoming school year on Friday, detailing how the district will handle the mandatory mask mandate instituted by Gov. Murphy a couple of weeks ago, along with other safety precautions.

“As we prepare for the shifts ahead, Point Pleasant Borough School District is committed to opening schools on a full-day schedule five days a week for in-person instruction for the upcoming school year,” the plan said.

“Discussions with parents/guardians, administrators, school nurses, teachers, and other community members helped inform this plan’s development. In addition, this plan is a living document that will be continually updated as necessary or required.”

According to the plan, masks will be required in all indoor spaces, including buses, unless the person has a documented medical condition, is eating or drinking, doing physical activity, or is exposed to “extreme heat” indoors, which is 75 degrees and above.

The district also said “mask breaks” will be done throughout the instructional day, both indoors and outdoors, and any health-related requests for the optional wearing of a face mask must include a physician’s note, which the school’s physician will verify.

Regarding social distancing and hygiene, student seating will be arranged to maintain three feet of distance between students will have signs up to remind people to maintain social distancing when possible.

In addition, student desks will be arranged so that all desks face the same direction, and all student grouping strategies will limit the number of students working together and will take into consideration students that regularly sit near each other, and for physical education, athletics, or other high-intensity physical activity, students and staff will be six feet apart.

Seating in the district’s cafeteria will also follow social distancing, seating will be arranged to maintain three feet of distance between students, and outside dining areas will be open when possible. Students will also be grouped to limit the number of students dining together, and arrangements will be made to limit the mixing of students between groups.

Self-serve food options will not be available in the cafeteria, and students will be prohibited from sharing food and drinks.

Hand sanitizer will be made available at each building’s entrance and throughout the schools. Students and staff will be encouraged to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue when not masked. Students in the district’s elementary schools will be taught proper handwashing and respiratory etiquette techniques.

Students will also be socially distanced three feet when riding on district buses, and windows and roof hatches will be opened to maximize airflow and increase ventilation. In addition, all buses will be routinely cleaned with an EPA-approved disinfectant between routes.

The plan also breaks down the district’s plan regarding screening and handling students who have contracted COVID or come into contact with someone who has COVID.

Individuals with COVID-19 symptoms who have not been tested or individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 should stay home until at least 10 days have passed since symptom onset and at least 24 hours have passed after resolution of fever without fever-reducing medications and improvement in symptoms. People who test positive for COVID-19 but are asymptomatic should stay home for 10 days from the positive test result.

In regards to people who have come into close contact with someone with COVID, if the transmission level in Ocean County is high (orange), exposed close contacts will quarantine for 14 days. If the transmission level in Ocean County is moderate (yellow) or low (green), exposed close contacts will quarantine for 10 days or 7 days with a negative test result collected at 5-7 days.

Exposed close contacts who are fully vaccinated and have no COVID-like symptoms do not need to quarantine, be excluded from school, or be tested following exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.

You can find the complete opening plan on the district’s website.