All Maplewood Students Set To Be Back In School On May 3

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood School District has announced the last two phases of students returning to school buildings, after some have been remote for over a year.

The district had originally intended to reopen its school buildings back in November, but suffered a series of setbacks. Most grade levels, as well as special education students, returned in phases over the last two months, but grades 3 through 5 have not. READ MORE: Maplewood Parents Rally For School Reopening

Phase 3 of the district's reopening plan began this past Monday, when the students who were on remote education following Spring Break returned to classrooms for hybrid learning.

For Phase 4, this coming Monday, K-2 students will switch to a five-day-per-week schedule, four hours per day.

Phase 5 is perhaps most long-awaited. On May 3, grades 3 and 5 will return to district buildings for the first time since March 2020, and all elementary students will attend five days a week, four hours per day.

The district planned to hold a virtual orientation for Maplewood Middle School for fifth graders Thursday evening. A similar program was held for South Orange Middle School on Wednesday, April 21.

"My fifth grader has not seen the inside of her classroom at all yet this year, or met her teachers in person," said April Mason, a founder of the parents' group SOMA for Safe Return to School. "We are cautiously optimistic that it will finally happen, but we aren’t getting too excited until May 3 since there have been so many last minute changes. A lot of trust in the district has been lost, I'm afraid." READ MORE: Maplewood Parents Rally For School Reopening

Last month a judge ordered Maplewood teachers to report to school, but did not say all grade levels had to return immediately. READ MORE: Maplewood Teachers Ordered To Report To School; Union Responds

Maplewood Mayor Frank McGehee said last month, "Board President Sheena Collum of South Orange and I continue to work with SOMEA leadership as well as our South Orange-Maplewood School District on our common goal to return our children and teachers safely to the classroom. In the last two weeks we have secured vaccination opportunities for our teachers. I am happy to report that progress has been made as 6th and 9th graders as well as K through 2 have returned to the classroom. We continue to work closely with both sides with the shared vision to meet the phased reopening plan."

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