Cranford Superintendent Talks About Fall School Reopening Plan

CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford Superintendent of Schools Scott Rubin released a letter on Monday giving some details of the district's proposed reopening plan in fall, and said more information will be available next week. He noted that schools are expected to offer some in-person learning, but at reduced capacity.

[UPDATE: The plans were released July 15. See more here.]

Cranford schools are scheduled to reopen on Sept. 8.

His letter stated:

<blockquote>

Dear Parents / Guardians, Students, and Community Members,

I hope this letter finds you and your family well. I am writing to update you on our ongoing planning efforts to reopen schools in September. As many of you know, the New Jersey Department of Education released guidance on June 26. Please review some content taken directly from the guidance:

• Absent a shift in public health data, schools and districts must reopen for modified in-person instruction and operations at the start of the 2020-2021 school year.
• Must comply with CDC, state, and local guidelines. Districts should abide by the advice of local health officials to determine the safest course of action based on local circumstances, which will change as the public health landscape evolves.
• Social distancing will be a guiding principle.
• Many schools and districts will have to operate school buildings at reduced capacity, requiring the establishment of hybrid learning environments (in-person and remote).
• Districts need to be prepared to pivot to remote instruction at any time during the school year.
• School staff and visitors are required to wear face coverings unless doing so would inhibit the individual’s health or the individual is under two years of age. Students are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings and are required to do so when social distancing cannot be maintained, unless doing so would inhibit the student’s health.

In the spirit of collaboration and in order to gain valuable perspectives, the District established multiple committees as it works towards the development of a comprehensive plan. Each committee includes the following representatives:

1. School-based pandemic team: principal, PTA president, CEA representative, nurse, school counselor, child study team member, paraprofessional, custodian, secretary, teacher.
2. District Leadership Pandemic Team: the entire administrative team, the PTC president, CEA leadership, a building representative from each school.
3. Community Pandemic Team: Office of Emergency Management, Cranford Police Department, Cranford Fire Department, Township Health Officer, the Mayor, nurse, Pomptonian Food Service, administrative team, Board of Education, child care representative.

Each committee is guided by the following principles (listed in no particular order) that are helping to guide the effort:

1. Health and Safety; of all students and staff
2. Engagement; ongoing among all community groups
3. Learning; uphold the integrity of our instructional program
4. Inclusivity; ensure equitable access for all students
5. Wellness; prioritize social and emotional needs and development
6. Empathy; caring for one another

We anticipate being able to share the framework of a proposed plan with you next week in hopes of getting your feedback prior to ultimately submitting a plan to the state.

The current situation is constantly evolving and challenging, but we are a resilient and supportive community. There is nothing that we cannot overcome together.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to updating you on our progress very soon.

</blockquote>

Several neighboring districts issued letters this week. In Summit, Acting Superintendent of Schools Robert Gardella on Monday asked parents to help their kids build up "mask endurance" by becoming comfortable wearing a mask. Schools reopen in Summit on Aug. 31.

New studies have supported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that mask-wearing is helpful in cutting down on (but not eliminating entirely) the spread of the virus, particularly if both parties near each other are wearing one.

Statewide, numbers are declining, but the virus is still spreading and claiming lives.

Before the holiday weekend, on Wednesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said there had been 423 new cases of the virus statewide in the previous 24 hours, and 45 more deaths. That meant that the number of cases has risen to 171,928, and 13,244 deaths.

This was down from New Jersey's peak: a high of 460 deaths in 24 hours on April 30, or one person every three minutes.

Still, Murphy has become concerned that numbers in some parts of the state are rising again, particularly when people come back from other states that reopened too soon. The state has imposed a quarantine on people coming to New Jersey from 16 other states.

Here are some other recent coronavirus updates:

UNION COUNTY TESTING

• The schedule for the Union County drive-through testing center has changed several times. For more information, click here.
• If you're a Union City resident, you can make an appointment at the testing site by calling 908-214-7107.

LOCAL BUSINESS/JOBS

• The Garden State had planned to start allowing bars and restaurants to reopen for indoor dining on Thursday at 25 percent capacity — but Gov. Murphy pulled back last Monday, citing coronavirus spikes in other states where indoor dining opened earlier, as well as photos of Jersey shore bars packed with patrons.
• However, outdoor dining started June 15.
• Hair salons and other personal care businesses were able to reopen June 22. State rules can be found here.
• Read more about unemployment, small business, and other coronavirus regulations and benefits in New Jersey here.
• Turtleback Zoo has job opportunities in guest relations, paddle boats, Treetop Adventure, parking and maintenance, must be 18 years of age. Please visit the link for a list of available jobs and how to apply: https://buff.ly/2QWodaV

HOSPITALS/NURSING HOMES

• New Jersey residents have become alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities, and have charged that the facilities are undercounting the numbers and not adequately protecting residents and staff. The state has faced questions for weeks from the press about how they will address the problems.
• There is now a state website with numbers for people at individual nursing homes.
• You can report immediate issues with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct that should be reported to the Attorney General, here.
• Some nursing homes have begun allowing socially distanced visits.
• Local hospitals updated their visitor guidelines last week. Read more here.

Here are additional statewide coronavirus resources:

• NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
• General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
• NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

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