Haddonfield Schools Prepare For New Academic Year Amid Pandemic

HADDONFIELD, NJ — Haddonfield Superintendent of Schools Chuck Klaus said the district is set to welcome students back to full-time in-person instruction on Sept. 8.

The district has plans in place to deal with the continuing coronavirus pandemic, and there are some things that are out of their control.

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced that all school staff in all pre-K through 12 schools must be vaccinated by Oct. 18, or they will be subject to weekly COVID testing. Read more here: NJ Teachers, State Employees Must Be Vaccinated Or Face Testing

Previously, it was announced that New Jersey students, educators, staff and visitors must wear masks in school buildings regardless of vaccination status. Read more here: NJ K-12 Students Must Wear Masks This Fall, Gov. Murphy Says

These are statewide guidelines as all 21 New Jersey counties hit a "high" transmission level of coronavirus for the first time since April 23, according to the latest rankings by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Read more here: NJ Hits High COVID Transmission Rate, First Time Since April

“COVID protocols such as daily screening forms and maintaining a social distance of three feet (or to the maximum extent possible) while in the classroom or cafeteria will remain in place,” Klaus said in a letter to the community on Tuesday. “Others such as daily temperature checks and the use of polycarbonate dividers will no longer be in place.”

While the school day will be held fully in-person, the district said school nurses will make decisions about staff and students who do not feel well or who exhibit COVID-19 or other symptoms. Haddonfield schools will continue to follow contact tracing protocols.

“A recent news report suggested that, as more people are vaccinated and more mask requirements are put back into place, the Delta variant will begin to loosen its grip on our citizens, and we will see the current statistics roll back to levels that will allow more freedom for us all, in school and elsewhere,” Klaus said. :I know I can count on the greater Haddonfield community to work together again to bring about what will surely be a happier and easier way of life.”

The next Haddonfield Board of Education meeting will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday night at the high school.

There is no limit to the number of people who may attend in person, but masks are required. Board meetings will continue to be live-streamed as well, but there will be no call-in comments or questions.

The agenda can be found here. The meeting will be livestreamed on the district’s YouTube page.