Maplewood Schools About Face: Will Now Stay Remote Until January

MAPLEWOOD AND SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — After nearly two months of remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, the South Orange-Maplewood School District had started moving toward partial on-site learning starting Nov. 12 — but Tuesday night reversed course. Thanks to ventilation issues that the district believed were resolved — but actually were not — students may not be able to return until Jan. 19, said a letter from the superintendent Tuesday afternoon.

"As we shared late last week, a facility walkthrough and review of some of our schools resulted in some concerning discoveries as it relates to our ventilation upgrades," wrote Superintendent Ronald Taylor in the letter. "After a thorough review, our investigation revealed that while much work towards our reopening was completed (removal of carpet, installation of hand sanitizer stations, mitigation signage, plexiglass installation, etc.) an important component was not completed despite having been verified as successfully finalized."

Taylor said that information shared at the Oct. 19 board meeting was inaccurate.

"We shared that our univents (unit-ventilation boxes in each classroom) had been updated with filters with a Merv 16 rating," he wrote. "Unfortunately, our extensive inspection and investigation revealed that this was simply not true. Filters were not installed as had been reported throughout all district classrooms. In order to prepare for students/staff to return to our buildings, every uninvent (approximately 1,000) will need to be reviewed and reassessed..."

He said this could take six to eight weeks. "The estimated timing of this work resets our potential reopening, which will now take place on approximately Jan. 19."

The superintendent also cited upcoming holidays and "the difficulties many are facing (and will face due to staff quarantines)."

He said, "This date also allows for personal quarantining for any in our school community who travel for the winter break without the need for substitutes and the accompanying disruption to educational services."

Coronavirus has been rising in New Jersey since some fall activities resumed and facilities reopened. As of Tuesday, 225,000 people have died of the virus in the United States, including more than 14,500 in New Jersey.

More than 200 school districts in New Jersey started the year with remote education — but this presents difficulties to parents. Maplewood, like some other districts, has offered options for childcare through the local YMCA.

Two weeks ago, Maplewood reported that two students in the district had coronavirus, and suspended high school tennis activities for two weeks.

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