NJ: Here's What's Next For Schools, Daycare In Coronavirus Crisis

NEW JERSEY – Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey school officials outlined plans for getting kids back in schools, for daycare to resume and for summer camps to operate amid the coronavirus crisis. He and the New Jersey School Boards Association provided blueprints as he announced 1,670 news cases and 168 more deaths during a Wednesday news conference (you can watch it here, below).

After taking several steps to reopen New Jersey's economy, Murphy provided a plan that could provide for a much different reality for schools this fall and in daycare and summer camps relatively soon – even if cases drop to zero.

Similarly, the New Jersey School Boards Association provided its own outline for what's needed to get children back in school by September. And that strategy may involve dividing school schedules into split-sessions.

Murphy, speaking on Wednesday, said he wouldn't comment on the NJSBA report because he hadn't yet seen in it. But the governor said he hopes to provide a more specific school reopening plan "in a matter of weeks."

The update comes as the number of cases rose to 150,399, and 10,747 people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

Murphy said his "blueprint," called "The Road Back: Restoring Economic Health Through Public Health," allows for reopening schools and daycare based on the level of disease transmission risk and essential classification.

Murphy said he would not provide dates or case markers for when New Jersey can advance to the next stages, saying he didn't want to give people "false hope."

But he did say that some of the steps – such as expanded daycare – could happen within a matter of weeks.

Murphy also said he has "hope" that his administration will ultimately allow in-person, live graduation before the summer is over.

"Bear with us," he said. "We're trying to figure this one out, and I hope sooner than later."

Right now, Murphy said his administration is "war-gaming on what back-to-school looks like" and that he hopes to have a more specific plan "within the next number of weeks."

At least one organization has suggestions for how sports can resume. Read more: Face Masks, Small Practices: How School Sports Could Resume In NJ

As for now, Murphy said he expects New Jersey, schools and daycare will move, within a matter of weeks, to "stage two," which will allow restrictions to be relaxed on additional activities "that can be easily safeguarded."

That would include:

• Child care expanded with capacity restrictions
• Potential for some in-person learning with modifications in K-12 and higher education
• Summer school and summer camps with limited in-person engagement if health conditions improve
• More activities – such as libraries and museums – with proper safeguards, capacity limitations and sanitation protocols

Once more progress is made, Murphy said New Jersey will move to "stage three," meaning restrictions are relaxed on most activities with significant safeguarding:

• Child care likely open for most
• K-12 and higher education operating in-person with reduced capacity
• Day and summer camps opened for all with safeguards and modifications.
• Higher-density settings with limited entertainment may be considered with safeguards.

Here is how the Murphy administration outlined its plan (story continues below graphic):

The New Jersey School Boards Association, meanwhile, released a special report exploring issues involved in the reopening of schools.

The report notes that the NJSBA distributed a survey sent to school board members, superintendents, and school business administrators on April 16 drew more than 1,000 responses to the question, “What strategies is your district considering to provide classroom instruction while accommodating social distancing?”

Here's what they said:

• Nearly 3 out of 10 respondents (29.14 percent) cited alternate in-person and remote instruction.
• Another 23.68 percent favored split sessions.

“In the two months since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of our public schools, New Jersey’s education community has made a valiant effort to transition our students to digital learning,” said Lawrence S. Feinsod, NJSBA executive director. “Now, as we look toward the reopening of schools, the education community faces even greater challenges.”

“Searching for a ‘New Normal’ in New Jersey’s Public Schools: How the Coronavirus Is Changing Education in the Garden State” provides information on the safe reopening of schools, students’ mental health, academic and extracurricular programs, budgetary issues, and preparations for the future.

“The report draws on the viewpoints of New Jersey’s local school officials, research by experts in education, medicine and public health, and the experience of other nations in reopening schools,” said Feinsod. “It is designed to help school districts further define challenges in these areas and develop strategies to meet them.”

The report recommends 10 strategies for local school districts and the state and federal governments, including the following:

• Provide school districts with accurate financial data reflecting the impact of the pandemic on New Jersey’s economy, state aid to education and school budgets.
• Engage in early, sustained communication with parents, students and school district staff about the steps being taken to ensure a healthy and safe environment.
• Revise plans to ensure a smooth transition to full online instruction if schools are again closed due to health and safety considerations.
• Include a “menu of options” in any statewide plan for the reopening of schools so that districts can select the strategies that would work best for their communities.
• Provide an adequate pool of educators by enabling teacher candidates to complete training, such as classroom observations, which was disrupted due to the health emergency.

Other recommendations address strategies to meet the mental health and emotional needs of students and staff; policy on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE); modification of the state’s school district evaluation system—the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum—so that districts are not penalized for actions necessary to address the pandemic; administration of tests to identify the need for remediation, and adequate funding to provide such programs.

“As the state Department of Education begins charting a course to reopen schools, NJSBA’s special report will provide the critical perspective of local boards of education and school district leaders,” said Feinsod. “We look forward to contributing to this important undertaking.”

Throughout the crisis, Murphy said, residents and businesses should follow state and federal safeguarding guidelines:

• No mass gatherings
• Minimize gatherings
• Disinfect workplace and businesses
• Minimize gatherings
• Respect social distancing
• Wear masks in public
• Wash hands

New Jersey will move toward subsequent stages based on data that demonstrates improvements in public health and the capacity to safeguard the public, including:

• Sustained improvements in public health indicators, including new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, individuals in intensive care, and ventilator use.
• Substantial increase in testing and contact tracing capacity.
• Sufficient resilience in New Jersey’s health care system to include adequate bed capacity, ventilators, personal protective equipment and workforce.
• Widespread safeguarding of workplaces.
• Widespread safeguarding and capacity of child care, schools, and transit.
• Continued public compliance.

Watch Murphy here:

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