Big Milestone As Livingston Schools Reopen From Coronavirus

LIVINGSTON, NJ — It’s been a long time coming, but the Livingston Public School District has reached a crucial milestone amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Monday, staff and students returned for in-person learning at Heritage Middle School and Livingston High School. It’s the first time since the pandemic began in March that all of the district’s buildings have been open and occupied.

Other schools and grade levels opened their doors for in-person learning earlier this month, as per the district’s hybrid model. Students are now attending a mix of in-person and remote classes.

“Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen,” administrators said. “Let's all keep working hard to make sure we keep moving in the right direction.”

Livingston was one of several districts in Essex County that began the school year in September with all-online classes due to COVID-19 concerns. Nearly 150 teachers said they may need to take a leave of absence if the district returned to in-person learning.

• See related article: Livingston Schools Can't Replace Teachers, Will Go Remote-Only

But as of Friday, the situation is looking better for the district, Superintendent Matthew Block said in a video message to the school community. (Watch it below)

“We are very encouraged by our five weeks of in-person learning at the elementary schools, and coming off of a very successful first week of in-person learning at Mount Pleasant Middle,” Block stated.

The superintendent said:

“When I put forth Monday’s date to open HMS and LHS several weeks ago, I expressed concerns that our staffing challenges might be too difficult to overcome. It has been an extraordinary challenge ensuring that all of our classes are properly supervised, and that we have secured excellent instructors for every class. It is important for the community to know that we still have many teachers who are unable to be in our schools in person for various reasons. Those who can be in person will be helping to provide supervision and instruction in classes where other teachers cannot be present. I want to recognize our staff members who are already working incredibly hard in a new paradigm, who are about to take on these additional responsibilities. We have hired some new staff, with the LEA’s support we have asked staff members to do more, and we have maximized our human resources. Only through these actions have we been able to reach our goal of opening our secondary schools.”

Block continued:

“Even as we work to solidify our staffing, the temporary closures happening in other school districts, quarantines due to positive COVID cases, and other illnesses and leaves, continue to impact our operations. This is a moving target, and on an ongoing basis we will continue doing everything we can to address any staffing issues that may arise. Our families must know that, while we are so proud that we are ready to open our facilities, the current situation is tenuous and requires that the puzzle pieces remain in place.”

“Never before has it been so important for all members of our community to make healthy decisions so that we are able to continue providing in-person instruction in the Livingston Public Schools,” Block added. “Please, help us ensure that all of this work and preparation will allow in-person instruction to continue long term by doing your part to keep Livingston safe and healthy.”

Earlier this month, the district reported multiple cases of the virus among the school community.

On Oct. 13, officials said a staff member at Burnet Hill Elementary School and a staff member at Livingston High School tested positive for COVID-19. Both staff members also coach in the fall high school athletic program. The cases had an “out-of-school” link.

Students in the Livingston district have also tested positive for the virus, including a student at Burnet Hill Elementary, officials reported on Oct. 15.

“Based on contact tracing information, we believe that this student did not contract the virus in school,” administrators said.

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