School Reopening Plan: What To Expect In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — The fall school year is set to start in two weeks and Superintendent Dr. Lisa Antunes outlined the Hillsborough Township School District's plan for the fall which includes in-person instruction, masking, and more.

Antunes noted that the district's top priority is getting kids and staff safely to school and keeping them there. With that, she said the district will follow any governor state order or Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

Vaccinations:

• Students - At this time, vaccinations are not required for eligible students. Parents with vaccinated children are asked to notify the school nurse to help with contact tracing.
• Teachers, Staff - Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order on Monday stating that all pre-K-12 school personnel must be vaccinated or undergo regular testing for COVID-19 at least once or twice a week. Read More: NJ Teachers, State Employees Must Be Vaccinated Or Face Testing

School days:

• Full day - yes
• 5 days per week - yes
• Lunches - yes
• Social distancing - 3 feet to greatest extent possible
• Everyone must cooperate in contact tracing.

Masks:

• Masks will be required in school and on school buses

What happens if exposed to COVID-19?

• Vaccinated - No quarantine and still allowed to participate in extracurricular and athletic activities
• Unvaccinated - Quarantine required and not permitted to participate in extracurricular and athletic activities.

Quarantine Guidelines:

• Unvaccinated - when the state is in the low to moderate COVID activity range - if exposed they must quarantine for 7 days with a negative test on day 5 or later or quarantine for 10 days. When the state is in the high COVID activity range, if an unvaccinated person is exposed they must quarantine for 10 to 14 days.
• Vaccinated - doesn't have to quarantine unless symptomatic. They should get tested 3 to 5 days after even if no symptoms.

Daily COVID Screening Form:

• The requirement to complete daily COVID screening forms remains in place for students and staff members as long as the state's COVID-19 activity level is rated moderate or higher.

Positive case impacts:

• Breakthrough cases due to athletics and extracurricular activities will shut down programs to allow for contact tracing.
• Generalized breakthrough cases will close programs/classes, schools to allow for contact tracing or for periods of quarantine.
• "We all need to be prepared to shift on a dime if necessary," said Antunes.

School Buses:

• Social distancing will be maintained at 3 feet if possible
• Students will load from back to the front like last year, the process is reversed when unloading
• Masks required for students, drivers, and aides on buses regardless of vaccination status
• Soft shields will be placed around bus drivers
• Buses and vans will be disinfected with electrostatic sprayers after morning runs and in the afternoon. Additional cleaning will be done between runs to the greatest extent possible
• Air filters will be removed and cleaned every day
• Hand sanitizer can't be placed on the bus because it is flammable

Field Trips:

• Right now there will not be any field trips.
• Transportation for extracurricular activities will be guided by the organization. Athletes, coaches, and drivers must wear masks.

Inside Schools:

• Increased cleaning and disinfection
• Restrooms may be closed through the school day for cleaning and disinfecting. They will not be closed at all times just on a rotation of bathrooms
• Hand sanitizer stations will be set up in the district
• Water fountains will be turned off but water filling stations available
• The district has invested in HVAC repairs and upgrades and exhaust fans

Contact Tracing:

• 6 feet of infected person for 15 minutes or more over 24 hours. An exception is in place for K-12 classrooms where students are within 3 to 6 ft of the infected student but were both wearing masks the entire time.

Virtual Option:

• No virtual option. If a student is quarantining or parents choose not to send their student to school there is no virtual option.
• The district is not mandating teachers to provide synchronous instruction either.

You can watch Antunes' full September presentation below. It begins around 20:30. The presentation will also be shared on the district's website htps.us.

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