Holmdel Schools Go Virtual; 87 Students, 37 Staff In Quarantine

HOLMDEL, NJ - Students at Holmdel Public Schools will once again follow an all-remote schedule, effective Wednesday. Remote instruction will continue until “at least” Dec. 3, with all extracurricular activities suspended until further notice, according to district officials.

In an email sent to parents Monday evening (posted by TAPInto Holmdel), the district noted 87 students and 37 staff members from all four schools in quarantine.

“The impact on our staff has made it difficult to properly staff our classrooms. Due to this significant increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the District, and after consultation with the Monmouth County Department of Health, we will shift to full virtual instruction for all students effective Wednesday, November 18, 2020,” wrote interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lee Seitz.

According to Seitz, the situation will be reviewed after Thanksgiving.

“Between now and when we return to in-person instruction, it is imperative that our students understand how their behavior, i.e. not wearing a mask and/or attending indoor gatherings, contributes to the spread of the COVID virus and may impact our ability to open our schools. We appreciate anything you can do to encourage your child and their friends to strictly follow the CDC guidelines. Together we can control the spread of this virus and get your children back to school.”

Tuesday, Nov. 17 will serve as the last day of in-person classes before the all-remote transition. Parents who do not feel comfortable sending children to school on Tuesday can opt into virtual learning for the day. Throughout the remote learning period, teachers will continue to report to school and provide virtual learning from their classroom settings.

Families gathering over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend are asked to follow the recommendations of public health officials. Anyone traveling for Thanksgiving is asked to review the governor’s most recent travel advisory and, if appropriate, refer to the quarantine protocol.

“We recognize this is not what we were expecting to do. Unfortunately, the spread of the COVID-19 virus outside of our schools at indoor gatherings has impacted our students and our ability to safely operate our schools,” Seitz concluded.

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