High Transmission Halts Reopening Of Chatham Middle, High School

CHATHAM, NJ — District officials paused plans to return Chatham's middle and high schools to in-person learning five days per week. The students would have returned to the schedule later this month if coronavirus risk decreased in the area, but the New Jersey Department of Health indicated that hasn't been the case.

Superintendent Dr. Michael LaSusa put forth a tentative timeline in March for School District of the Chathams students to return to five-day, in-person learning. (The elementary schools already have, while the middle and high school practice the hybrid model.)

Under the plan, Grades 8 and 12 would return April 19, Grades 6 and 9 would come back April 26 and Grades 7, 10 and 11 would resume five-day, in-person learning April 28. But the timeline hinged on the state reducing the local coronavirus risk level from "high." Read more: Chatham Schools Plan For Further Reopenings With Caution

But the Northwest Region, which includes Chatham, has remained "high" risk since LaSusa put forth the proposed timeline last month. The New Jersey Department of Health labeled the entire state as high-risk in its most recent activity report. Officials assess risk level through several factors such as case rates, the prevalence of COVID-like illness and positivity rates.

The state adopted updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which allowed for less physical distancing between students under certain circumstances. Under the new guidelines, schools could reduce required distancing between elementary-school students from 6 feet to 3 feet but could only do so with middle- or high-school students in regions with "low" or "moderate" COVID-19 risk.

"Due to the fact that we have approximately 90% of students now attending school in person, the 'High' level of community transmission prohibits the district from moving forward with our plan to bring students in grades 6-12 back to school every day," LaSusa wrote Tuesday to parents.

New Jersey had the second-highest case rate in the nation last week, according to the CDC. The Garden State reported an infection rate of 300.7 cases per 100,000 people, behind only Michigan's rate of 515.8.

In the past month, the northwest region's case rate increased from 30.47 to 41.20. The positivity rate went from 8.63 percent to 11.20 percent.

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