Moorestown School Board To Present Potential Remote Learning Plan

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Moorestown Board of Education will present a remote learning plan for public schools in the event of a declared state of emergency when it meets Tuesday night.

The proposed plan would also take effect in the event of a public health emergency or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer, according to a copy of the plan posted on the Moorestown Public School District’s website.

If the district were to shut down as it was in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, asynchronous learning would begin immediately. Virtual (synchronous) learning would begin by the third day of closure to allow for any material pickup and device distribution.

Students in pre-K and kindergarten would use a home device, and anyone who requests a device from the school district would receive one. First graders would get a device issued by the district, and students in Grades 2-12 would take home their school-issued devices.

The district would work with families that do not have Internet access at home to help them find service and may loan a hotspot to families with no other options for broadband/internet service.

The instructional plan by grade can be found below:

pre-K: Instruction will be held through LIVE Google/Zoom/Class Dojo meetings with some small group/individual breakout time included.

K-3: Instruction will be held through LIVE Google/Zoom meetings with some independent work time included.

4-12: Instruction will be held through LIVE Google/Zoom meetings with some independent work time included. Teachers will use Google Classroom.

All parents/guardians may be required to pick up student materials for Remote Learning for certain subjects.

To read the full plan ahead of Tuesday night’s meeting, click here. If the plan is approved by the board, the superintendent would submit the plan to the commissioner of education by Oct. 29, and annually thereafter.

The plan is being presented even though there are no imminent plans to move to a remote-learning format.

Burlington County has "moderate" COVID activity, according to New Jersey's latest weekly report. The determination is based on metrics such as case rate, positivity rate and prevalence of COVID-like illnesses.

In September, 92 new cases of the coronavirus were reported in Moorestown, according to Mayor Nicole Gillespie. It was about the same in August, Gillespie said.

Tuesday night’s meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at the William Allen Middle School. There will be limited capacity in-person, but anyone can view the meeting live via YouTube. Anyone who would like to make a public comment during the meeting must attend in-person.