Moorestown Schools Exploring Options For Fall Reopening

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Moorestown Public School District has put together a task force that is exploring multiple options for reopening the district’s schools this fall as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Superintendent of Schools Scott McCartney said the task force is holding discussions that focus on six areas, including:

• Curriculum & Instruction;
• Finance & Operations;
• Personnel Needs;
• Student Needs;
• Extra Curricular Activities; and
• General Health & Safety.

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On Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy issued a list of rules and guidelines for reopening schools this fall amid the coronavirus outbreak. Boards of education were given flexibility that "recognizes and respects" the differences between districts, he said.

This includes the option to rearrange schedules and implement a hybrid of in-person and remote learning. He also cautioned districts should be ready in case they need to move back to an entirely remote learning environment. Read more here: Gov. Murphy Issues NJ School Reopening Rules Amid Coronavirus

The task force’s sub-committees are developing plans for meeting in-person and continuing to meet online. They have also put together several hybrid models that combine the two, McCartney said.

Plans are expected to be submitted to the district in July so it can go through the process to get the information out to the public in August.

“As we have said numerous times, there are still more questions than answers; guidance changes daily, if not multiple times per day,” McCartney said. “We also know that it is all subject to change based on the medical condition of our state and region.”

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.

Due to continuing restrictions, the district said it will hold its Summer ESY and ESSA programs virtually. ESF Day Camps and recreation programs typically run on district grounds have been canceled, but the district is looking at running their own camps and third-party camps as the restrictions allow.

"We know this will help some of our residents and also give us the opportunity to refine our plans for an eventual roll-out of school in the coming school year," McCartney said. "More information will come out shortly on any options in this regard."

See related: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know