UPDATED Millburn/Short Hills Schools Release Fall Reopening Plan

MILLBURN, NJ — Millburn Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Burton released details at Monday evening's Board of Education meeting for the district's plan to reopen schools on Sept. 3, in line with coronavirus precautions. The proposed "blended" plan offers a shorter in-person day for students, combined with virtual learning, so that only half the students will be in the buildings at a time.

[UPDATE: A link has been released to a video of the presentation; see details below.]

Millburn, one of the state's most highly ranked districts, is also one of the earliest to release a plan.

The state of New Jersey announced on Monday that all parents must also get the option of remote learning as the pandemic continues to spread around the country. More than 140,000 Americans have died of coronavirus in four months.

Here are highlights of the Millburn plan:

For elementary school students:

• They'll attend school five days a week, for 2.5 hours, with no lunch or recess.

• Some will go in mornings, others in afternoons, and siblings can be on the same schedule.
• They'll receive math and language lessons during that time.
• The students will also receive 1.5 hours of virtual learning in other subjects including social studies, art, physical education, and music.

For the middle and high school students:

• Students will be in the buildings for five hours a day on alternate days, called A or B schedules [updated].
• On the days they're not in school, they'll receive education at home, livestreamed.
• There will be no lunch, but there will be a snack break.

Regarding precautions and breaks, for everyone:

• Everyone will wear a mask.
• Buildings will undergo a "thorough cleaning" each day.
• No visitors — just faculty, staff and students.
• Social distancing. (Some educators, like Cranford's superintendent, have planned for the possibility that distance may be lowered from 6 to 3 feet, but it's also possible in-person learning could be put on hold.)
• Time for mask "breaks," snacks, and handwashing.

Daily screenings:

• District is still developing how to conduct daily screenings for symptoms
• Contract tracing also in development

Superintendent Burton said a finalized plan will be communicated at the Aug. 10 special board meeting, and at an Aug. 24 Town Hall-style meeting.

Last week, nearby Cranford made the news when it released its fall school plan that included older students attending school in person two to three days per week and younger kids attending daily half days with no lunch or recess. (Read more.)

Reaction from parents

The meeting was virtual and limited to 250 participants, something that frustrated parents, according to discussions on Facebook after the meeting Monday night.

Parents said they had questions such as what time the school day will start, and whether older students will go every other day. (A spokeswoman said Tuesday that kids will alterate days in school.) They were encouraged to email the superintendent with questions.

Some parents suggested that the district conduct certain classes outdoors.

[Look at Millburn's recent coronavirus numbers and other updates here.]

UPDATES: Links and videos

Here are some links from the Monday meeting:

• Here is the link to the video of Dr. Burton’s presentation at last night’s Board of Education Meeting.
• Here is the link to the PowerPoint Presentation.
• Watch the entire Board of Education Meeting here.
• Burton said Tuesday, "This is an overview of the current planning, and is not a full comprehensive plan. We will continue to share out more details as our subcommittees continue their work to complete the plan that must be approved by the State DOE."
• If you have questions, the district is compiling them into an FAQ. Please submit your questions here.

Difficult busing situation

Burton had previously said in an email on Friday that she wanted to make parents aware of one decision that's already been made: because of rules about social distancing on buses, subscription busing is canceled for fall for the time being (Westfield made a similar announcement last week).

"I do want to alert you that the Board and District have concluded that we will not be able to provide subscription busing in the fall. We will only be providing busing to students who are mandated to receive transportation by living more than 2 miles (K-8) or 2.5 miles (HS) from school. As the district must schedule busing for the fall based on social distancing requirements of one child per seat, or approximately 22 students on a 54 passenger bus, it will not be possible to transport all students who would want Subscription Busing. We understand this will have an impact on families who had planned to use Subscription Busing for your children. We want to give you this information now, so that you can begin making plans for walking or carpooling with neighbors, family, and friends in order to get your children to school in the fall."

The issue will be revisited in January, she said.

How to prepare

In her Friday email, Burton gave some suggestions for preparing to return to school:

● Purchase a thermometer in order to take your child(ren)’s daily temperature.
● Purchase several well fitted, comfortable, washable cloth face masks. Your child will need a clean face mask daily, and an extra in their backpack.
● Develop "mask endurance" — start training your child now to wear their masks for extended periods of time. We all know that this can be uncomfortable and annoying. However, it is also one of the most important steps we can take for everyone’s safety. The more you and your child wear their masks, the more comfortable they will be wearing them for extended periods.
● Purchase any personal supplies of alcohol based hand sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes that your child can carry to school.
● Purchase any other items that will help your child feel safe and comfortable returning to school.
● Talk to your child about good health and safety routines, but also emphasize a positive message. People who wear masks and follow other guidelines like social distancing and handwashing are making themselves and those around them safer. Try to balance the seriousness of the message with the idea that they are also safe.

Related Millburn school and coronavirus updates:

• Millburn schools reopen on Sept. 3. Download the calendar here.
• Individuals interested in running for the Millburn Township Board of Education must declare their candidacy by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 27. The general election will be held Nov. 3. Candidates must file a nominating petition with the Essex County Clerk with at least 10 signatures, one of which must be the candidate’s.
• Here are recent coronavirus updates, statistics, and where to get tested in Millburn and Essex County.

New Jersey and national coronavirus trends

On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy revealed 177 more coronavirus cases and nine confirmed deaths from the day before. The number of cases rose to 176,963 in New Jersey and 13,741 confirmed deaths. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

This was down from the state's deadliest day, April 30, in which 460 deaths were reported in just 24 hours.

To see a breakdown of deaths and trends in other states, click here.

What do you think about the school reopening plans? Comment below.

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