Cranford Schools To Go Remote For Week After Spring Break

CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford Superintendent of Schools Scott Rubin said Friday that all Cranford public schools will be remote for four days after Spring Break. Cranford and several other districts had kept schools remote after winter break, hoping to avoid coronavirus case increases following holiday gatherings. (See the numbers from January: Union County Coronavirus Cases 'Very High'.)

As noted in Rubin's letter below, extracurricular activities will continue.

Spring recess in the Cranford schools runs from March 29 through April 5. The latter is a Monday. The next four days, through April 9, will be remote.

Rubin wrote in the letter:

Dear Cranford community,

I hope this correspondence finds you and your family doing well. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that the District will transition to full remote learning for four days after the spring recess (Monday, March 29 - Monday, April 5), starting Tuesday, April 6, through Friday, April 9. On Monday, April 12, the District plans to return to our current system of hybrid in-person instruction.

Please note that extra-curricular activities will continue during this time and all established protocols and procedures will be followed. Advisors / Coaches will reach out to their respective groups with more information.

As evidenced by the Thanksgiving holiday and the winter recess, there is great concern over a sharp increase in the level of travel and gatherings during spring recess, resulting in greater opportunity for transmission of the virus throughout our community and a subsequent need for quarantining. Therefore, the Township Health Department has guided the District in the decision to transition to remote instruction for four days following Easter Sunday, providing an 8 day period between Easter and a return to hybrid in-person instruction on April 12. We are hopeful that this temporary pause will allow the District to resume hybrid in-person education with less interruption in the ensuing weeks.

During the spring recess, I ask that you continue to notify the District of a positive COVID-19 test result. You can report this information here: Cranford Public Schools Covid-19 Reporting Form. It was determined in partnership with all of the school Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA’s), that the District will continue to send out District COVID-19 notifications throughout the break.

Whether schools can resume the hybrid in-person model in a sustainable way is partly dependent on the choices we all make as a community when we are away from school. I certainly understand and appreciate the desire for family and friends to want to get together over spring recess, especially given the length of the pandemic. However, we must do so safely, responsibly, and in accordance with current guidelines. As health officials have stated, please socialize outside, wear a mask and stay six feet apart. Adherence to these practices will increase our chances of being able to continue with hybrid in-person instruction.

Again, I cannot thank you enough for your partnership! Your patience, flexibility and support truly exemplify the qualities that make Cranford such a special place.

Please be on the lookout for a correspondence from me on Monday, updating the community on district planning for September.

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