Belleville, Nutley Schools Return In-Person After Holiday Break

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The Belleville and Nutley public school districts cautiously returned for in-person classes on Monday to kick off 2022, although there’s always a chance the winds can shift, officials said.

As cases of the coronavirus continue to jump in Essex County, some local school districts have opted to switch to all-remote classes after the holiday break, such as Newark. Others have gone with a mix of remote and in-person learning, or will be giving families a virtual option for a limited time.

In Belleville and Nutley, however, the plan to reopen in-person became a reality on Monday. Here’s the latest updates in each town.

>> 2021 COVID Stats For Belleville: See Weekly Case, Death Totals

>> 2021 COVID Stats For Nutley: See Weekly Case, Death Totals

BELLEVILLE

The Belleville Public School District held in-person, full-day classes on Monday.

The plan is to continue this way, but parents should be prepared for a sudden switch to remote or single-session learning if the coronavirus situation worsens, Superintendent Richard Tomko told Patch.

If the district has to switch to remote classes, it will follow the protocol outlined in its 2021-2022 emergency plan.

NUTLEY

The Nutley Public School District also marched forward with its plan to reopen in-person on Monday.

“Based on Nutley vaccination rates, testing protocols, and actual numbers of confirmed positive cases prior to the school break, we remain committed to continuing full-time in person instruction resuming [on January 3],” Superintendent Julie Glazer wrote in a letter to the community last week.

Read the full letter here.

“New Jersey is reporting record-high COVID-19 cases and test positivity rates, and this is true in our area, as well,” Glazer stated. “Please note that the rise in cases is due to overall community spread and not as a result of outbreaks in our schools.”

“As always, we will continue to monitor the information daily, stay proactive, and are prepared for contingencies based on our district 2021-2022 Return to School Plan,” the superintendent added. “We ask you to be patient while we navigate changing daily scenarios. We are in constant consultation with the local and county health departments in our continued effort to keep all staff and students safe.”

“We will no doubt face new challenges and uncertainties in the new year that will require all of us to be flexible,” Glazer continued. “At this time, our intent is to resume full in-person learning when school resumes for students on Monday, January 3, 2022. However, if COVID cases continue to surge over the holidays, we may receive new guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) or New Jersey Department of Education. We will continue to follow NJDOH guidance on school operations, and keep you informed of any required changes.”

A district spokesperson confirmed Monday that Nutley is continuing with the plan outlined in Glazer’s Dec. 31 letter.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.