Long Valley School Aims To Reopen Dec. 9 After COVID Outbreak

LONG VALLEY, NJ — The Long Valley Middle School still plans to revert to in-person classes on Dec. 9 following a COVID outbreak from an offsite PTA sixth grade social, though quarantine protocols have changed because of a districtwide rise in cases.

In a letter to families and staff within the Washington Township Schools on Tuesday, Dr. Peter Turnamian wrote that since the PTA-sponsored event at the Sky Zone in Mt. Olive on Nov. 19, there have been 35 “directly associated with the outbreak” who tested positive for COVID, as well as 24 close contacts of those students.

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Initially, the sixth graders were supposed to be the only ones in remote learning through Dec. 6, but as of Thanksgiving weekend, the whole middle school was transitioned to remote learning through Dec. 8, after a rise in cases.

RELATED: All Long Valley Middle Schoolers Go Virtual After COVID Outbreak

As of Tuesday, Turnamian wrote in his letter, an additional 20 cases were reported over the previous 24 hours from Long Valley’s Middle School.

With the transition to remote learning, Turnamian wrote there are “no school related close contacts” from the newest reported cases.

“We remain on track to return to full, in-person instruction on Thursday, Dec. 9,” he wrote.

The Districtwide Case Count

In that letter from Nov. 30, Turnamian stated that four people, not specifying if they are students or staff, have tested positive from Benedict A. Cucinella School.

On Monday, he had a letter also sent to families and staff stating that over the holiday weekend, there were two people from the Cucinella School who had tested positive, four from Old Farmers Road School and six who had then additionally tested positive from Long Valley Middle School.

On Nov. 19, Turnamian also sent a letter that an “individual that travels between Old Farmers Road School and Flocktown and Kossmann Schools has tested positive,” with all close contacts notified.

There were additional letters sent out referencing Flocktown-Kossman on Nov. 22 with one case and on Nov. 24 showing there was another new case there.

For a graph showing all positive COVID cases districtwide as of Nov. 30, in each of the school locations, click here.

For Turnamian’s letter from Nov. 30, click here.
For his letter from Nov. 29, click here.

COVID Case Spike Changes Quarantine Period Districtwide

Washington Township Schools has adjusted its quarantine guidance period to exclude the test out option, because of an uptick in positive COVID cases districtwide.

Turnamian told district families that because of a significant increase in positive cases and along with the local health department, the school district has changed the district quarantine period to “10 days with no test out option.”

“Please note if the state levels of COVID-19 reach ‘high’ at risk levels,” Turnamian also wrote to the district in his letter on Monday, “we may be required to move to a 14-day quarantine time period.”

Community Weigh In About Sky Zone Event

On Patch’s article about the topic of the school going fully-remote on Monday, members of the community, some parents, commented on Patch’s social media post with the article, about the outbreak and Sky Zone event.

While some blamed the Long Valley Middle School PTA for hosting the event, a group that did not respond to Patch’s request for comment for its first story, others chided people commenting that the group is culpable for the outbreak.

“For all of you who are blaming the PTA, remember this was a completely optional event to attend,” one person wrote. “This was an event that these children’s parents chose to sign them up and pay for to drive them to.”

That person stressed that no one was forced to attend or not wear a mask; and they should not blame the organization.

Others argued it was poor judgment on the group’s part to host it because of the overall impact.

One parent who said their child was there, said they "let their guard down," the whole family in quarantine, with their two children and spouse having tested positive.

“I am not blaming anyone,” this parent wrote. “I just hope we can learn from this moving forward.”

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.