Cherry Hill Schools Switch To All-Remote Plan To Start Year

CHERRY HILL, NJ — The Cherry Hill Public School District will open school under an all-remote plan, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joseph Meloche announced on Tuesday. It was previously set to open with a mix of in-person and remote learning.

The 100 percent remote instruction plan will remain in effect until at least Nov. 4 after the district received letters from Cherry Hill Education Association groups at each of the district’s 19 schools over the weekend.

The district has also received a growing list of leave-of-absence requests from certified staff ahead of the start of the school year, which is set for Sept. 8. There is also a lack of certified substitute teachers available for key areas.

The district also won’t be able to offer its School Aged Child Care (SACC) program at this time due to a lack of staffing.

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The message in the letters was clear, Meloche said: the district’s staff wanted to delay the opening of the school year to allow for more preparation to teach in the hybrid model.

Opening on a remote-only schedule will also allow for greater mitigation of their concerns regarding the coronavirus, Meloche said. The district will follow the remote learning plan as outlined in the district's reopening plan that was approved by the Board of Education last month.

“This remote-only plan is robust with live instruction every day for our students, as teachers will deliver instruction from their classrooms during this time,” Meloche said. “As planned, we will be distributing Chromebooks/devices to families who need them.”

Families who need chromebooks will receive information from their school’s principal, Meloche said.

The district will continue to provide lunches for those in need. Five breakfasts and five lunches will be distributed on the first day of school, and then each Monday beginning Sept. 14, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at both high schools to students who qualify for free/reduced price meals. The Free/Reduced Meals application is available on the district website.

Information regarding fall sports will be announced in the coming days, Meloche said.

“We understand these new challenges are not easy for any of us and that this decision is going to cause frustration and anger for many,” Meloche said. “We also know that as a community, we all can meet the challenges and get through them, together. The ideal is for our staff and students to all be back in our schools together — and we will get there, we are sure. This time of frustration requires all of us to communicate well and respectfully, and to maintain a focus on the children of our community. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.”

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