Scotch Plains-Fanwood School Releases Phased-In Reopening Plan

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School Superintendent Joan Mast has released a phased-in reopening plan showing a timeline for when students could begin in-person, hybrid learning.

Under the anticipated plan, Pre-K students would be the first to return to school on Oct. 22 followed by K to 1st grade on Oct. 26.

Grades 2nd to 5 would return on Nov. 9 and grades 6th to 12th will begin on Nov. 16.

The district began the school year with an all-virtual citing health and safety issues related to the school buildings' ventilation systems.

The Board of Education then hired E.I. Associates and Environmental Safety Management Corporation to evaluate the district's ventilation systems. The findings were presented at the Sept. 30 meeting.

Overall the reports showed that 45 percent of the district's buildings required maintenance and 8 percent required structural changes needed to provide ventilation.

"Based on this information the repairs in our buildings have already begun. The ventilation remediations will be addressed in the priority based on the schedule of students that are returning. E.I. Associates will provide a final summary report which will inform the district short term and long term facilities plan," Mast said in a letter to parents Thursday.

If all the repairs are completed, the district will open for hybrid learning based on the phased-in proposed plan.

In the meantime, parents are being asked to complete the Return to School Survey by Monday,

Oct. 12 to determine scheduling for students in groups and coordinating groupings with sibling assignments.

Families will still have the choice for their child to continue with the virtual model. If parents choose the hybrid model, and want to return to virtual-only instruction they may do so at
any time. Those that choose the virtual model will have the opportunity to switch to hybrid at the following times:

• Elementary: Dec. 11 (End of Trimester)
• High School and Middle School: Dec. 16 (Marking Per. 2 Progress Reports)

See below to read Mast's full letter:

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