Scotch Plains Superintendent 'Stands Firm' In Switch To Virtual

SCOTCH PLAINS/FANWOOD, NJ — Scotch Plains-Fanwood Schools Superintendent Dr. Joan Mast said she "stands firm" in her decision to switch students to virtual learning for the next two months due to the spike in cases of the coronavirus.

Mast released a 6-minute video on Tuesday explaining how the school district made the decision to switch all students to virtual learning from Nov. 16 through Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. The video was released in response to some parents protesting the decision. Read More: 100 Students, Parents Protest Scotch Plains-Fanwood Virtual Shift

The decision came after Mast said she reviewed school, town, and county coronavirus numbers. Since in-person, hybrid learning began at the schools there were 15 COVID-19 positive cases impacting 6 schools and 84 people in quarantine.

"This put me in a challenging position because I needed to make the call before it became a widespread problem," said Mast.

The decision was then reviewed by the Board of Education and school administration before communicated with the public.

The return date of Jan. 19 was selected because of holiday travel and gatherings that are expected to occur with families and friends, said Mast.

This would allow students and staff time to quarantine before returning to school. However, the return date will also depend on how the town, county, and state are doing at the time.

Coronavirus activity levels must remain at a moderate level for 10 consecutive days if the school is to reopen on Jan. 19. Additionally, if there are numerous positive cases among staff members, the district must also be able to have enough substitutes.

"The severity of the second wave depends on human behavior which can be difficult to forecast. If we all commit to following the same safety precautions we will be well within our power to return to school and a more normal routine sooner rather than later," said Mast.

"As superintendent, my job has never as arduous as it is today. And although not universally popular, I stand firm in the decisions I've made knowing they are made to protect the health and safety of our students and staff," said Mast.

Additionally, in the interest of increased communication and transparency, a COVID-19 dashboard will be added to the district website for residents to see how case data is trending on weekly basis.

See below to view Mast's entire update:

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