Mahwah Schools Stay Open, With New Guidelines, Post-Thansgiving

MAHWAH, NJ — After considering a shift to virtual learning earlier this month, the Mahwah Board of Education announced that hybrid learning will continue after Thanksgiving break.

District schools are open for in-person learning Monday, but, according to a recent letter from Superintendent Leonard Fitts, there are a few new guidelines for schools amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"With the reality that the Department of Health has labeled Bergen County as 'high risk,' we are making significant changes to our existing practices regarding student and staff health to ensure that safety remains our priority," Fitts wrote.

Mahwah has seen a rise in cases, trending up along with much of the rest of the state and county.

In November, the township reported over 100 coronavirus cases prior to Thanksgiving, when health experts — and the school district — expected to see a spike in cases.

READ MORE: Coronavirus Risk Rises To 'High' In Bergen County

The district released a few new points in their "new protocol" for students, parents and staff members amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Again, the district asks parents to keep students home if they are showing symptoms of the coronavirus. If they are sent to school, "staff will send your child to the nurse if any visible symptoms are present, regardless of the completed COVID-19 questionnaire, and after our nurses’ assessment you will be required to pick your child up immediately," the district said.

Moving forward, the district will treat anyone with COVID-19 symptoms as a probable case.

If a member of a students household is being tested for the coronavirus, the student must stay home until those test results are received. That student will be "excluded from school" until a negative test result from the symptomatic person is received.

Parents and guardians — as well as staff — must notify the school nurse of illnesses and exposure to COVID-19, according to the new protocols.

"Anyone absent from school will be contacted by staff and questioned as to potential exposure to COVID-19 in the past 14 days," the district said.

An "alternate diagnosis" won't be accepted for a return to school when an individual still meets the "COVID-19 exclusion criteria."

"Students and adults with COVID-19 compatible symptoms will be excluded until they have a negative COVID-19 test, or have met the criteria for discontinuing home isolation," the district said.

Finally, the district is putting additional emphasis on enforcing New Jersey's travel advisory.

"If we learn that you or your child has traveled within a state listed in New Jersey’s travel advisory, and you do not adhere to the quarantine rules and your child attends school, the district will enact Board of Education Policy 8451, Control of Communicable Diseases, and your child will be excluded from school to complete a mandated quarantine," the district said.

Read the full letter here.

These new protocols come just weeks after the school district announced that every school in the district had an active coronavirus quarantine.

According to the letter, internal data shows more staff and students are having contact outside of school buildings, requiring them to quarantine after a fellow student or staff member tests positive.

This comes despite, the district said, the schools only experiencing isolated cases that have yet to cause an outbreak.

READ MORE: In Mahwah, Every Public School Has Active Coronavirus Quarantine

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