Summit School Plan: No Remote Except Under These Conditions

SUMMIT, NJ — With Summit students returning to school on Aug. 30, Superintendent Scott Hough released his back-to-school plan and COVID precautions Monday. In keeping with state mandates, students will be masked, they will have to quarantine only after certain types of travel, and classes will not be remote except under a few circumstances.

The New Jersey Department of Education had told all schools they "must plan to provide full-day, full-time, in-person instruction and operations for the 2021-2022 school year."

In Summit, for now, remote learning will be only offered to those who are sick with COVID, unvaccinated students who return from international travel and are quarantining, and students quarantining because of a close contact, the plan says.

Students 12 and over are eligible for the vaccine but are not required to get the shots to attend school, the plan says. But:

● Fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to quarantine if identified as a close contact.

● Unvaccinated individuals will be required to quarantine if identified as a close contact.

The district has already set up a dashboard to let the school community know how many students in each school have tested positive for COVID.

"We recognize how integral a well-rounded and consistent education is for the development and success of all of our students," Hough wrote in a letter introducing the plan. "Our goal has always been and will continue to be to return to as much normalcy as possible. However, as we approach the third school year dealing with COVID, we have to be mindful of the conditions and trends in our community."

Board of Education President Chris Bonner noted that safety measures this year will include:

• Consistent and correct use of masks
• Social distancing where practicable, while keeping all children in school all day, every day
• Continuing to promote hand hygiene
• Cleaning and disinfection practices, including MERV-13 filters
• Contact tracing in collaboration with the Westfield Regional Health Department

See the full plan and letters here.

See the school calendar and holidays here: Back to School: Summit 2021-2022 School Calendar

Kids And COVID In NJ

In New Jersey, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said last week that area doctors are concerned about the rising rate of pediatric hospitalizations from COVID-19. READ MORE: Rise In Child COVID Hospitalizations Prompts Vaccination Plea

Last week, 13 children were in New Jersey hospitals with COVID-19, including two in the intensive care unit, said Persichilli. READ MORE: NJ Hospital Preps For COVID Surge As Kids Set To Return To School

Two weeks ago, Gov. Phil Murphy mandated masks for the new school year. Children under 12 still cannot receive the COVID vaccine. Click here to read about COVID in Union County.

More than 618,000 Americans have now died from COVID (see which states have the highest recent death rates here). Most of those hospitalized with the virus are unvaccinated, say officials at the hospitals.

Read more:

• COVID Hospitalizations Spike In NJ As Delta Variant Spreads
• Rise In Child COVID Hospitalizations Prompts Vaccination Plea
• NJ Hospital Preps For COVID Surge As Kids Set To Return To School
• NJ Mom Urges: Listen to COVID 'Long-Haulers'
• 4 Things To Know About The Delta Variant Of Coronavirus In NJ
• Hoboken Says: Get Vaccinated Or No Spaghetti For You
• 200 Students And Teachers In Florida County Have Virus In First Week Of School

Don't miss Summit breaking news alerts when they are announced, or get a free daily newsletter each morning with Summit news. Sign up with your preferences here.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. Got photos? Please include express written permission from the photographer for us to use them. To be the first to get free news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.