Millburn Superintendent Will Reveal Fall Reopening Plan Monday – Millburn, NJ Patch
MILLBURN, NJ — After saying in a July 2 letter that details would come soon about fall school reopening plans, Millburn Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Burton said Friday that she will reveal a preliminary plan — taking account coronavirus precautions — at this Monday evening’s Board of Education Meeting.
To hear the meeting, dial in to 413-341-4756 (Pin: 605 960 881).
Schools are just starting to reveal their tentative reopening plans, as well as backup plans in case virus trends change locally. Last week, Cranford made the news when it released its fall school plan that includes a variety of provisions, including older students attending school in person two to three days per week and younger kids having daily half days. Read more.
Many districts are also allowing parents to continue with distance learning if they desire.
Difficult busing situation
Burton said in her Friday email that she wanted to make parents aware of one decision that’s already been made: because of rules about social distancing on buses, subscription busing is canceled for fall for the time being (Westfield made a similar announcement last week).
“I do want to alert you that the Board and District have concluded that we will not be able to provide subscription busing in the fall. We will only be providing busing to students who are mandated to receive transportation by living more than 2 miles (K-8) or 2.5 miles (HS) from school. As the district must schedule busing for the fall based on social distancing requirements of one child per seat, or approximately 22 students on a 54 passenger bus, it will not be possible to transport all students who would want Subscription Busing. We understand this will have an impact on families who had planned to use Subscription Busing for your children. We want to give you this information now, so that you can begin making plans for walking or carpooling with neighbors, family, and friends in order to get your children to school in the fall.”
The issue will be revisited in January, she said.
On Monday, “Initially we will provide you with a framework of our opening schedules, and the reasoning behind our plans,” Burton said. “We are continuing to finalize all of the details involved in reopening schools, from health and safety precautions and requirements, to curriculum and student schedules. We will share out those details throughout the summer.”
Here is the Agenda for Monday’s meeting. The presentation will be posted in the handouts folder when the meeting starts, as well. There is a limit on the number of people who can join a Google Meet, so video of the presentation will be posted some time after the meeting on the website.
Watch Patch for more school news this week, as well.
The school supplies are different this year
In her Friday email, Burton gave some suggestions for preparing to return to school:
● Purchase a thermometer in order to take your child(ren)’s daily temperature.
● Purchase several well fitted, comfortable, washable cloth face masks. Your child will need a clean face mask daily, and an extra in their backpack.
● Develop “mask endurance” — start training your child now to wear their masks for extended periods of time. We all know that this can be uncomfortable and annoying. However, it is also one of the most important steps we can take for everyone’s safety. The more you and your child wear their masks, the more comfortable they will be wearing them for extended periods.
● Purchase any personal supplies of alcohol based hand sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes that your child can carry to school.
● Purchase any other items that will help your child feel safe and comfortable returning to school.
● Talk to your child about good health and safety routines, but also emphasize a positive message. People who wear masks and follow other guidelines like social distancing and handwashing are making themselves and those around them safer. Try to balance the seriousness of the message with the idea that they are also safe.
Related Millburn school and coronavirus updates:
- Millburn schools reopen on Sept. 3. Download the calendar here.
- Individuals interested in running for the Millburn Township Board of Education must declare their candidacy by 4 p.m. on Monday, July 27. The general election will be held Nov. 3. Candidates must file a nominating petition with the Essex County Clerk with at least 10 signatures, one of which must be the candidate’s.
- Here are recent coronavirus updates, statistics, and where to get tested in Millburn.
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