Back To School In NJ: Here Are 11 Plans Across The Garden State

NEW JERSEY - If there is one thing that will be consistent with Garden State children going back to school during the coronavirus pandemic, is the inconsistency.

New Jersey has made several lists of rules and regulations that they have foisted upon districts and included a remote-learning option for all students in all districts and invested in closing the "digital divide" for families.

But the lion share of the thrust has been on districts attempting to open for in-person instruction for at least part of the time. The rules haven't come without controversy. New Jersey's teachers union says it's just not plausible to open up on time in September amid the coronavirus crisis.

In fact, Dr. Christine Miles of NJEA’s Professional Development and Instructional Issues Division told the NJ Assembly Health Committee that opening schools there will be outbreaks, there will be closures, there will be irreparable damage done.

"Our educators’ lives are at stake. 1 in 4 teachers are at significant risk of serious illness if infected by COVID-19," Miles testified on Aug. 7. "Add in the countless Education Support Professionals and administrators that work in our schools and that number continues to rise."

Also, when districts were informed that if they had a need, they could request to go all-virtual at least 139 school districts applied to do just that.

So Patch looked over the plans we've seen for learning this fall and decided to share some of the plans from across the state.

Washington Township, Warren County

According to their website, besides a few modest modifications like the canceling before and after care and beginning the school year on an early dismissal schedule, Washington Township will be back to an almost-normal schedule albeit with masks and distancing.

• Pro: This "close to business as usual" plan allows for students and parents to get back to work.
• Con: It might be difficult to pivot to all-virtual if a flareup requires it.

Hoboken School District, Hudson County

As the envy of many around New Jersey, Hoboken's reopening plan is unique in that students can attend for a full day, each day. But there is a caveat, they will begin remotely for K-12 students on Sept. 14 rather than starting on Sept. 8, and buildings will open to students on Sept. 21.

• Pros: Everyone is back on a short delay.
• Con: A lot could change in those two weeks.

Washington Township, Morris County

The Washington Township School District in Morris County will be using a hybrid/cohort schedule with one fixed day for all virtual learning. Children who are participating in the A/B 2-Day Rotating Model will attend school every other day on either Tuesdays & Thursdays OR Wednesdays & Fridays. Mondays will be virtual "at-home" learning days for all children.

• Pro: Fixed schedule with the cohorts allows for families to plan and work.
• Con: The fixed schedule gives up an in-class day for all students.

Bridgewater, Somerset County

With 40 percent of the student population opting to go virtual, the Bridgewater School District will offer hybrid model splits students into groups and divides the week into a mix of in-person learning and virtual learning days.

• Pro: The plan to allows the 60 percent who want in-person instruction to have it.
• Con: Those who choose all virtual and change their mind can't return to school until Nov. 13.

Wayne School District, Passaic County

The Wayne School District is offering a hybrid option, for now. Gov. Murphy's Aug. 13 which mandates all New Jersey schools to provide full-time remote instruction to all students is a "complete departure from the prior directive requiring some in-person instruction," which was the basis for the Wayne Township Public Schools Return to School Plan, said Superintendent Mark Toback. The hybrid model should still be sufficient for the district, Toback said.

• Pro: The hybrid option they were planning for should be acceptable.
• Con: If the district did not have a fully-virtual option rarin' to go it would be hard to handle and closures due to outbreaks.

Sparta School District, Sussex County

The Sparta Township School District had plans to go back a hybrid schedule that they are reconsidering after a number of staff retirements and requests for accommodation have left them unable to open under the state guidelines.

• Pro: Better to call it now, then find out in the middle of the first marking period.
• Con: Many families depending on a hybrid schedule will now be stuck scrambling with the switch.

Montclair School District, Essex County

The Montclair Public School District is going fully remote when classes start again this fall. Montclair Superintendent Jonathan Ponds aid that Montclair's schools will still keep their previously announced hybrid models on the back burner and ready to roll out when "the time is safe."

• Pro: The plan allows for safe expansion into hybrid learning as soon as it is feasible.
• Con: Parents that were planning on in-person instruction are left out in the cold.

Cherry Hill, Camden County

Theplan includes a mix of hybrid and in-person learning. It was approved a day before Gov. Phil Murphy said school districts can choose to go all-remote when school restarts in September, but in-school instruction can resume immediately. Cherry Hill's plan for all high, middle and elementary schools sees two groups of students on a five-day rotation, in which students physically attend school two days a week and learn remotely the other three.

• Pro: This plan maximizes the amount of time students can have in-person learning in a hybrid model.
• Con: The shifting schedule of two days in and three days in will be a scheduling challenge for families.

Middletown School District, Monmouth County

Middletown's plan right now is half remote classes, half in person: Students will be split into two groups, based on their last names. Cohort A will be students with last names from A-K and they will attend in-person on campus on Mondays and Tuesdays. Cohort B will be students with last names from L-Z and they will attend in-person on campus instruction on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays will be a remote virtual school day for all students, except for special education and other exceptions.

• Pro: Break from in-person mid week does allow for enhanced cleaning.
• Con: District does sacrifice a day of in-person learning.

Cranford School District, Union County

In Cranford, PreK through fifth grade students will go to school every weekday, with single-session days and no lunch or recess. They will also get some remote learning. The PreK through kindergarten day will be 2.5 hours. Middle school and high school students will go two to three days per week, including alternating on Fridays. They will be separated into two cohorts who will attend in person on alternate days. On the days when one cohort is not in school, they will get a livestream from the class where the other cohort is. There will be some afternoon sessions for things like ESL, special education, music, counseling, and other considerations.

• Pro: Without busing to content with Cranford can offer many students in-person for more days per week.
• Con: The alternating schedule for high school students and middle school students could be an issue with childcare for siblings.

Point Pleasant Beach, Ocean County

Point Pleasant Beach is planning on reopening its school buildings, but the district will follow a "hybrid" model – even though students could be in classrooms four days a week. The in-person educational program for students attending G. Harold Antrim Elementary School will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Instruction on Wednesdays will be synchronous distance learning that follows a shortened (i.e. "half-day") instructional schedule.

• Pro: The four days the students will be attending will be nearly full days.
• Con: The half way virtual on Wednesday could be a large drop-off in quality.

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