Madison Schools Will Open As Planned

MADISON, NJ—Superintendent Mark Schwarz said on Tuesday that Madison schools will open as planned, but cautioned that increasing concerns over staffing and safety could cause a shift to fully remote learning.

"In the mission of proceeding with in-person instruction for our students," said a statement from Schwarz, "we are proceeding with our plan to open schools for in-person learning under Phase 1 (hybrid model) on September 8."

Noting his apprehension about the quality of instruction in an environment of masks, shields and barriers, Schwarz said an even bigger problem is that many permanent faculty will be unable to attend in-person classes.

"Our schools will need to employ more long-term leave replacement teachers than is typically expected," the statement said. "Also, in areas where a qualified replacement cannot be found, we may need to provide work-from-home accommodations for staff members."

Governor Murphy's initial directive to school districts was that some form of in-person instruction was required, causing multiple teacher leave applications. But earlier this month, the governor reversed course, issuing guidelines that must be followed before in-person school could begin, upending many return-to-school plans.

Schwarz said last week that Madison's schools are in compliance with the guidelines and therefore were required to open.

Compounding the problem, New Jersey faces a shortage of substitute teachers, giving districts few options when permanent faculty go on leave. Schwarz noted this scarcity during last week's board of education meeting, when he said it could potentially cost the district $4500 per day in substitute teacher costs.

"In many cases, when students come to school they might not have their regular teacher," Schwarz said last week. "They may have a substitute, they may have a long-term substitute."

The superintendent's statement today reiterated this possibility, bracing students and parents for increased use of substitutes this fall. Schwarz said that he expects adequate staffing at this point, but noted the shrinking pool of qualified replacements , warning that "such a shortage may require us to shift all or some of our schools to a fully-remote instruction model."