Millburn/Short Hills Schools To Go Remote Until At Least Nov. 9 – Millburn, NJ Patch

MILLBURN, NJ — The Millburn/Short Hills schools will likely open with remote education on Sept. 8 and stay that way at least until Nov. 9, said Superintendent of Schools Christine Burton in a letter to the district Thursday night. Recent changes in state guidelines have allowed districts to open remotely, and 54 plan to do so.

The Sept. 8 start date will be up for a vote at the next Board of Education meeting Aug. 24, Burton said.

Previously, the district intended to offer a hybrid on-site learning plan in which students could attend alternating single-session days in school.

In the Thursday letter, Burton said:

Dear Millburn Schools Community,

In our ongoing efforts to share information and data about our Return to School planning, this is a very important announcement regarding the start of school.

Millburn Schools will start the school year virtual for all students.

● I will be recommending that the board approve Millburn schools to start the school year fully virtual for all students, as allowed by Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 175.
● Schools will start on September 8th as reflected in an updated calendar (requires board approval on Monday, August 24th). Moving the start date for students will allow our staff to use these additional days in the first week of September for professional development and preparations for virtual teaching.
● We anticipate schools will be virtual for the first quarter of the school year, which is until November 9. We will attempt to bring students in earlier on a phase-in plan. We will prioritize special populations, ELL, and Pre K-2 to start and then move up the grade levels. As students return to in-person instruction, there may be adjustments to their classroom assignment or schedule to accommodate.

Burton said that there were problems meeting the new, strict social distancing guidelines in schools, ensuring that people keep 6 feet away from each other. She also cited ventilation issues and more.

And then there are the staffing issues.

“We are experiencing a significant reduction in the number of available staff due to
79 submissions for work accommodations for medically-documented reasons
or for childcare leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act received as of
Monday August 17,” Burton wrote. “Staff have received certification from physicians for
medical concerns regarding high-risk conditions as determined by the CDC.
Requests are still being submitted.”

Recently, the Millburn teachers’ union, like many others, expressed concerns about reopening on time.

Last week, Burton advised parents with an interest in the state safety recommendations to read this new state document: NJ DOH COVID Recommendations for Schools.pdf.

To read about the district’s previous reopening plan and dates, click here.

Millburn coronavirus numbers:

Last week, the town reported a total of 160 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. The total of residents testing positive had climbed by only eight since a report over a month ago, on July 9, when there were 151 cases in town.

Six Millburn residents in total have passed away since the start of the pandemic.

“The confirmed cases in Millburn is cumulative and residents are not removed from this count once they recover,” Mayor Jackie Lieberberg noted. “At times these numbers can change when contact tracing is complete and it is verified that a positive result should be counted in another community or county.”

As of this past Thursday, 165,000 Americans had died of coronavirus, and more than 5 million have tested positive.

As of late Sunday, 35 states remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen. WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days. Read more.

In New Jersey on Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy said the number of coronavirus cases statewide has risen to 186,594, with 14,054 confirmed deaths. That included 699 new cases since the day before and eight newly confirmed deaths.

However, that death rate has declined since back on April 30, when it reached a peak of 460 residents in 24 hours.

Many other states reached record daily death rates in July (see the daily totals in each state here). They pulled back on some reopenings, including Texas, which closed bars after seeing record hospitalizations and deaths (updated by one hospital system here).

Here are other Millburn/Short Hills and Essex County coronavirus updates on testing, reopenings, and more:

SCHOOLS

TESTING

  • To make an appointment at the Essex County testing center, or to see if local mobile testing will be provided to your area, visit www.EssexCOVID.org or call 973-324-9950.
  • You can also contact your physician or the state 211 hotline for more information.

OUTDOOR DINING

  • Outdoor dining resumed in New Jersey on June 15, with precautions. Read about Millburn’s first weekend of outdoor dining here.
  • Mayor Lieberberg noted on Friday, “Please be advised that Main Street will be closed to vehicular traffic through August 30. We invite you all to dine and experience all of Millburn’s great restaurants and businesses. Take a stroll, say hello to your neighbors and continue to be vigilant about social distancing protocols and mask wearing. Free parking continues until September 1, 2020. Time limits still apply.”

LOCAL BUSINESS/JOBS

  • Hair salons and other personal care businesses were able to reopen June 22. State rules can be found here.
  • Read more about unemployment, small business, and other coronavirus regulations and benefits in New Jersey here.
  • Turtleback Zoo has job opportunities in guest relations, paddle boats, Treetop Adventure, parking and maintenance, must be 18 years of age. Please visit the link for a list of available jobs and how to apply: https://buff.ly/2QWodaV

HOSPITALS/NURSING HOMES

  • New Jersey residents have become alarmed at the high number of residents who have passed away in nursing homes, rehabs, and similar facilities, and have charged that the facilities are undercounting the numbers and not adequately protecting residents and staff. The state has faced questions for weeks from the press about how they will address the problems.
  • There is now a state website with numbers for people at individual nursing homes.
  • You can report immediate issues with long term care facilities here, or if you suspect coronavirus related misconduct that should be reported to the Attorney General, here.
  • Some long-term care facilities have begun allowing socially distanced visits.
  • Local hospitals updated their visitor guidelines recently. Read more here.

GIVING AND GETTING HELP

  • To find out about help for the needy and seniors, or get food or food bank information, check your town’s website or contact the town.
  • To read about Feed the Front Lines, click here.

Here are additional statewide coronavirus resources:

  • NJ COVID-19 Information Hub: https://covid19.nj.gov/
  • General COVID-19 questions: 2-1-1
  • NJ COVID-19 hotline: (800) 222-1222

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. To be the first to get news alerts with breaking stories in Millburn including the Short Hills section, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.