South Brunswick Schools To Go Virtual After Spring Break

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — South Brunswick school district will be going virtual the week following spring break, school superintendent Scott Feder announced.

In a letter to parents and guardians, Feder said the decision was made “out of an abundance of caution.”

April 6 to 9 will be virtual learning days for all students.

On Feb. 23, the school district was advised that travel quarantine rules for vaccinated people were lifted, said Feder. As a result, those who were vaccinated could take a vacation without the need to be quarantined.

However, on March 8 the district was notified that the NJ Department of Health reversed course and removed that exemption, stating that vaccinated personnel are still required to quarantine after travel.

“To say this is frustrating is an understatement. I trust you can imagine my angst as I now address the reality of what our staffing situation will look like after spring break,” Feder said.

Since many families will be traveling and gathering, Feder said the school district is expecting shortage of staff due to quarantine.

At the March 11 Board of Education meeting, Feder said he “could not in good conscience” tell 50 to 100 staff members to cancel travel, as plans were made keeping in mind state mandated travel rules from February.

“They did this in earnest of knowing what the rules were. It’s not okay,” he said.

Another reason for going virtual was the increase in number of students who opted for in-person classes.

“I trust you can understand this dilemma as the safety of our students and staff remain my utmost priority,” he said.

The superintendent acknowledged that “things can change again with the Department of Health.”

But he said that “staff and families need to be able to plan for this upcoming change and we hope this gives you enough time to make your arrangements for students to all learn remotely on those days.”

Meanwhile on Monday, South Brunswick reported a 65 percent increase in COVID-19 cases in the community.

Read More Here: South Brunswick Reports 65% Increase In COVID Cases: Officials

Health officials are unclear as to the exact cause of the increase, but said the trend mirrored the overall trend in New Jersey, which is currently leading the nation in new coronavirus cases.

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