Scotch Plains-Fanwood's Youngest Students Return To School Monday

SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ — Some of the youngest students in Scotch Plains and Fanwood returned to school for in-person, hybrid learning on Monday following health and safety issues related to the school buildings' ventilation systems.

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Regional School District is implementing a phased reopening plan for its hybrid, in-person learning for students.

Under the plan, Pre-K students returned to school on Oct. 22 and Kindergarten to 1st grade students returned Monday, Oct. 26.

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

The district began the school year with an all-virtual due to HVAC issues cited by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Joan Mast. Read More: Scotch Plains-Fanwood School Releases Phased-In Reopening Plan

The Board of Education then hired E.I. Associates and Environmental Safety Management Corporation to evaluate the district's ventilation systems. The findings showed that 45 percent of the district's buildings required maintenance and 8 percent required structural changes needed to provide ventilation.

Mast reported in a letter to parents on Thursday that the district has completed both short-term remediations and identified areas for long-range facility upgrades, which are listed in the district-wide ventilation assessment.

"Our maintenance department has been focused on accomplishing the needed short-term repairs to maximize the safety measures intended for the return of our students to their schools. These repairs are ensuring an increase in the amount of outdoor air brought into buildings and are designed to reduce the amount of pathogens in the air and minimize recirculated air," Mast said.

Additionally, the district will be opening windows in classrooms whenever possible to introduce more fresh air and help effective circulation.

Air purification units have also been set up in locations without windows.

"Because we are now confident that the air circulation is improved, we are ready to phase-back our students to in-person learning by implementing the hybrid model which was outlined in our District Restart Plan," Mast said. "The hybrid model reduces the number of students and teachers in the classrooms and shared-spaces, thus allowing for social distancing to the maximum extent possible."

Additionally, the district surveyed parents on what form of education model they would be choosing for their children. The survey was sent out on Oct. 8 with 3,094 families responding.

According to the survey, 75 percent of parents chose hybrid learning and 25 percent chose virtual learning.

Families who chose to keep their children on the all-virtual model will not be able to switch to hybrid until:

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

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here. Don't miss local and statewide announcements. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.