Chatham Schools Will Open As Planned, Could Face Staffing Crunch

CHATHAM, NJ—Chatham schools will open as planned on Sept. 8, said superintendent Michael LaSusa, ending speculation about more changes to the district's strategy as September approaches.

"The gains and benefits of having students in school, even if its not perfect, outweigh shutting schools down for all virtual," said LaSusa. "The department of health has indicated that we should try to open schools, so I feel that it's my job to find a way to do that as safely as possible."

The plan to stay the course comes days after LaSusa announced that the start of the school year was being moved back one week to give the district more time to install protective equipment and address staffing concerns. At Monday's board of education meeting, LaSusa said the PPE would be installed by the first day, and Chatham schools are prepared for the challenge this fall would undoubtedly bring.

Human Resources Manager Beth Grant said 16 staff members have already been granted leave due to increased coronavirus vulnerability, and 10 more are on leave for other reasons, such as lack of child care. But Grant added that those numbers may be the beginning of a larger problem.

"Employees of the district that have expressed concerns about their ability to start employment at the beginning of the academic year...that number at this time is greater than 100 staff members."

Despite the concerns, LaSusa said the basic question is whether the school district can safely supervise students during the day.

"We feel we can fill most of the [26] teacher leaves in a way that enables us to appropriately supervise students," said LaSusa. But he added that circumstances could change quickly and that the district had to address the large number of staff interested in taking leave this fall. "That 100 [staff] is what we're working through, and not all of those will turn into leaves."

The superintendent and board members expressed frustration with seemingly contradictory guidance from the state, as he and other New Jersey administrators spent most of the summer operating under the directive that some in-person school would be required. But an executive order issued by Gov. Phil Murphy on Aug. 12 reversed course, leaving teachers, school administrators, and parents frustrated and confused.

"We've been working on this night and day," said board president Jill Critchley Weber, "this is not something Mike [LaSusa] just worked on since the governor decided to change things on us."