Parents Urge South Brunswick Schools To Resume In-Person Classes

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A group of South Brunswick parents have written to the school district and board officials, urging them to reopen schools for in-person classes.

Ahead of Thursday's Board of Education meeting, the group wrote that it’s “appropriate” and "absolutely necessary” to reopen schools.

The letter was signed by around 108 parents and guardians.

The South Brunswick school district is currently following the remote learning model and is scheduled to reopen for in-person learning on Jan. 19. But with COVID-19 cases rising many parents fear the reopening could be delayed further.

In their letter, the group acknowledge that the public health crisis is grave, but said evidence showed that the risk is greater when children are home.

“We understand that a return to in-person learning in the middle of this public health crisis carries risks but the emerging evidence shows that the risks of keeping students at home are even higher,” read the letter.

The group of parents said there are studies that showed remote learning promoted “absenteeism, drops in national literacy rates, and has adversely affected our children’s learning progress, socialization, and mental health.”

South Brunswick began the school year virtually in September 2020, with the district initially planning to pivot to the hybrid model on Nov. 16.

In late September, the district began bringing back students to school buildings in a phased manner. But before the Nov. 16 reopening date, the school district paused transition to hybrid learning due to the growing number of COVID-19 cases in town.

In their letter, parents said if schools were to continue remote learning, it could lead to the widening of an already existing educational gap between students.

“We can help our children now by giving them the choice to learn again in an environment that allows them to thrive,” said the group.

The group of parents and guardians have also created a Facebook group to discuss school reopening.

In their letter, the group said they have data from other school districts demonstrating that with appropriate protocols, schools can reopen safely without the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

“Indeed, increasing data reflects that reopening schools does not contribute to community transmission of COVID-19, and that when transmission does occur, that our children have certain biological advantages and in most cases can quickly fight off the disease,” they said.

The group also pointed out that neighboring school districts like Edison, East Brunswick, Metuchen, Franklin Township, West Windsor among others, have decided to reopen their schools, after “balancing the risks and rewards.”

“We are asking the Board to look at the thoughtful opinions of psychologists, educational leaders and epidemiological experts who say reopening is in the best interests of the students and can be done safely and responsibly.”

When contacted, school Superintendent Scott Feder acknowledged the receipt of the letter.

“I did receive the letter and appreciate the families advocating for their children and what they believe to be best. As you may be aware, the schools are currently slated to reopen for in-person learning on Jan. 19, with some programs beginning as early as Jan. 13,” he said.

The Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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