Westfield Parents: We Want More On-Site School Days

WESTFIELD, NJ — Nearly 11 months after schools in New Jersey closed for the coronavirus pandemic, some Westfield parents are asking the district to return to on-site learning five days per week for all grades, rather than hybrid learning for single-session days.

Superintendent Margaret Dolan responded to the complaints in a letter Friday saying that she's constantly in communication with health officials and it may happen someday, but "each district makes decisions based on its own unique circumstances, including enrollment, space, staffing, scheduling, health protocols, local COVID data, and other considerations."

Last week, one parent forwarded correspondence to Patch that she had sent the superintendent, noting that some surrounding communities have opened five days per week. She also cited CDC guidelines saying in-person learning is important for child development.

"I wanted to write many times this year," wrote Nicole Klinger. "I cannot fathom why our children are not going to school more than when the school year started. The cases at school have not risen, not outbreaks and I would really like to know what the situation is with reopening. Why can't our children go to school for a full day?"

She suggested that since children stay in the same seats and desks, they could eat lunch there too. In a followup, she said, "Staying this stagnant course is not acceptable. As taxpaying residents and parents of these suffering students, getting them back to in-person instruction should be of the utmost priority."

She also said it's especially important for younger kids to go, as they are learning to read and write.

Dolan responded in a mass email Thursday, then in a letter on the district website Friday. She wrote to some parents on Thursday, "I have never stopped listening to our stakeholders, reading every scientific ... Nor do I ever take for granted the challenges of hybrid/remote learning and the hardships this pandemic has placed on our families. As you have likely noted, some neighboring districts are returning students to school five days a week. Those decisions are based on their specific circumstances and capabilities and the COVID data in their communities ... [soon] the high school will be opening for four-day a week instruction to students in Cohorts A and B, after 25 percent of families indicated a desire for hybrid learning. In contrast, 75-80 percent of elementary and intermediate students are in school for hybrid instruction, making it impossible to meet current CDC social distancing protocols within our classrooms."

On Friday, Dolan wrote in a letter to the community: "I have heard from a number of parents who understandably want to know when our schools will open for more days of in-person instruction. They list other districts who are doing so and provide links to various news reports. They ask for creative, outside-of-the-box solutions and share helpful suggestions. I appreciate their thoughts and perspective and we continue to explore all options."

She said:

<blockquote>

<p>A common theme in recent emails is that the CDC does not require 6 feet social distancing in classrooms. The guidelines do provide some latitude to districts who may not be able to make it work. However, the CDC continues to recommend 6 feet as the optimal distance between desks, along with mask wearing and handwashing, to help keep students and staff safe. And that is my number one priority.

There is no doubt that this year has been difficult – at times, seemingly impossible – for everyone, especially for students who are younger or have specific needs. I do not minimize the challenges of students on computer screens for hours, of parents juggling the needs of their children with employment and other responsibilities, of staff members going above and beyond even as they struggle with their own personal responsibilities, of a community cooped up and fed up and frustrated.

I attended virtual meetings this week with State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli, with Union County superintendents, and, as I do often, with the Westfield Regional Health Department. I continue to ask questions and seek answers as to the latest guidance and safest way to reopen our schools more fully. For now, the guidance has not changed.

That doesn’t mean it will not change. I want our students back in our schools. My administrative team and I never stop listening, researching, and consulting about ways to make this happen. As part of those efforts, the District Restart Committee will meet this month to reassess the hybrid model and to share ways we might be able to advance in-person opportunities safely.
As always, I will share with you next steps as soon as I am able.</blockquote>

Here are recent coronavirus statistics in Westfield for each age group.

In fall, some in the district cited frustration with the virus being spread among teens on sports teams.

The schedules for districts in New Jersey vary greatly from district to district. Some attend five days per week, while Maplewood had to delay its return to the buildings because of ventilation issues. They finally opened for hybrid learning in January, but after a week, but teachers refused to return, and then snow kept the district remote for another week. Meanwhile, parents in Scotch Plains are suing the district to reopen.

Want to be the first on your block to get Westfield breaking news alerts, or a daily morning digest of news in the mile-square city? You can sign up for Patch alerts and/or a free a daily digest of news here: Sign up and choose your preferences.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.