Freehold Township Superintendent Discusses Fall Reopening

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ – A virtual town hall hosted by the superintendent of Freehold Township School District on July 15 described probable scenarios for what the upcoming school year may look like. The school district, which serves grades Pre K-8 in eight different buildings, will likely see hybrid learning plans, four-hour school days and staggered schedules in the weeks to come.

In his presentation, Superintendent of Schools Neal Dickstein stated that the district is looking to the New Jersey Department of Education’s reopening plan as well as guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, CDC guidelines and other school districts to cement a sustainable reopening plan.

While no measures have been finalized by the Board of Education as of yet, the administration has been anticipating new strategies since April, according to Dickstein. However, it was not until the New Jersey Department of Education released official guidance last month that the district could confidently navigate the parameters set forth by the state.

Another town hall is slated to take place in August once a finalized plan is agreed upon by the Board of Education. A survey and registration link for the virtual meeting is expected to be released in two weeks.

Screening measures, symptom checks still to be determined

Several committees within the district have been set up to facilitate reopening, including a 37-member stakeholder committee consisting of Board of Education members, parents, teachers, custodians, transportation staff and administrators. Subcommittees include custodial facilities, health services, mental health, transportation, curriculum, child care, food service, technology, staffing, community relations and virtual lesson planning.

There is also a committee in place to determine at-school screening measures, although parents will be responsible to screen children for symptoms prior to the start of the school day. Schools will not be providing temperature checks upon arrival, according to Dickstein.

“We think it’s much more reliable for parents to screen and report from home,” the superintendent said.

At the onset of the new school year, a three-day period of staff training will take place prior to the start of classes. Assessments will be created to periodically monitor student achievement across the district as the year goes on. School officials are currently working to standardize a set number of recorded and live lessons, according to the superintendent.

In the coming weeks, the district will also be developing policies to define protocols for students who test positive for COVID-19, symptomatic students/staff and management of related absences. Air conditioning in each classroom will pump filtered air and windows will be open when feasible.

Nurses will be provided with special PPE while staff will be provided with face shields, cloth face masks (with a clear area for students to see their mouths) and a regular face mask. Students will be required to wear face coverings whenever a six foot social distance cannot be maintained. It remains to be seen whether the district will supply students with PPE.

In-person attendance will be mandatory for most students

According to a recent district survey with over 1,900 responses, 432 families will require child care when children will not be in school. The district is currently looking into contracting child care facilities with internet connection and enough space for social distancing to be maintained.

Per the survey, 7 to 8 percent of parents will not send their children back to school in-person if in-person instruction resumed in the fall. According to Dickstein, unless the student or a family member is medically compromised, in-person attendance will be required.

In fact, according to the New Jersey Department of Education, all students must attend in-person classes except those with disabilities or serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, moderate to severe asthma or those who are immunocompromised or have immunocompromised family members.

“Unless a child meets one of these criteria, they must attend school in person,” said Dickstein. “I will share with you, I am not supportive of that piece of guidance. I have contacted our legislators and my colleagues and I have contacted the state Department of Education to ask for consideration in changing that. However, at this moment, this is the rule regarding virtual instruction. That means that if a child does not meet these criteria and a parent does not want to send them back, that means the child must be withdrawn from school and homeschooled.”

Hybrid learning plan 'aligns best' for district

According to the superintendent, a hybrid model of in-person and virtual instruction will be very possible for the upcoming school year, in which students will be attending in-person classes in staggered A and B groups. This plan would include staggering students on a weekly basis or a semi-daily basis.

Per state guidelines, the school district is not considering full-time virtual instruction. However, the district will be prepared if the need for full-time virtual instruction arises.

A four-hour school day “aligns best” for the district, with no lunches served, according to Dickstein. If the plan should be passed by the Board of Education, students will be placed into two groups with this proposed schedule and attend in-person classes two days a week, with a third day alternating between the two groups every week. When not in school, students will be provided with four hours of virtual instruction.

“Based upon that guidance, five full days with all students could not meet that guidance based on our schools and our class sizes,” said Dickstein. “Five four-hour days with all students is the same: we cannot accommodate social distancing requirements.”

While it is likely that some students will have difficulty maintaining six feet of separation from other students, Dickstein pointed out that a three-foot safety buffer may have the same benefits as six, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Self-contained classes, which by nature have smaller class sizes, will be able to social distance with a full class and additional equipment will be purchased for staff where social distancing cannot be achieved.

The district is also considering spacing options ranging from staggering class dismissal times, spacing students at least six feet apart and designating certain hallways for one-way traffic. “If anybody has a child at [Joseph J.] Catena [School], you know that is actually impossible,” said Dickstein.

If lunch and related activities were to occur on school grounds, the AAP suggests having students placed in cohorts – especially if students remain in a classroom throughout the day – as well as creating separate lunch periods to minimize cafeteria traffic. Dickstein states that, if financially feasible, sneeze guards and partitions could be an option.

“The biggest thing I would like community members and those attending tonight to understand is that some of the questions that were asked cannot be answered until the final reopening plan is completed and approved by the Board of Education,” said Dickstein. “We are in the midst of creating the reopening plan. It is not complete.”

To watch the full meeting, click here.

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