Marlboro High School Goes Virtual Amid COVID-19 Cases

MARLBORO, NJ - Days after Howell High School abruptly transitioned to a remote schedule following several confirmed COVID-19 cases, another school in the Freehold Regional High School District switched to virtual learning.

In a Monday letter to parents, superintendent Charles Sampson and principal David Bleakley announced that classes at Marlboro High School will be conducted virtually until Nov. 18 to “ensure the safety of our school community.”

“As part of our Restart and Recovery Plan, I am informing the entire Marlboro High School community that the District was notified that members from our school community tested positive for COVID-19,” the letter reads.

It was not immediately clear how many members tested positive for the coronavirus.

Marlboro High School is one of six schools in the Freehold Regional High School District, which recently moved to a hybrid learning schedule on Oct. 21.

Since October, Marlboro has seen a more than 25 percent increase in COVID-19 cases.

During the Full-time Remote Learning period, all indoor school activities will be cancelled. Outdoor activities are slated to continue. Staff and students will continue to follow the partial day schedule and participate remotely via Google Meets.

“In accordance with the FRHSD Restart and Recovery Plan, all areas of Marlboro High School are being sanitized as per CDC guidelines with special attention to high touch areas and areas where the infected person was in attendance,” the letter continues. “These procedures were taken in addition to our routine protocols. We strongly encourage all members of our school community to continually monitor themselves for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and to seek medical assistance when feeling ill.”

According to Sampson and Bleakley, contact tracing has commenced and close contacts have been identified. The administration is requesting that close contacts make “every effort” to cooperate with the local health department.

Last week, Howell High School shut its doors to in-person instruction amid reports of a parent-led party, which allegedly led to an outbreak, according to the Asbury Park Press. According to an email from Sampson reported by the Press, the closure was “a direct result of a large party hosted by a parent with students and that there are zero issues or instances of any in-school transmission." Read more: Howell High School Closes For 2 Weeks Amid More COVID-19 Cases

It was not immediately clear when the gathering occurred or how many people attended.

“The rise in preventable COVID-19 related incidents that originated outside of school directly contributed to our need to temporarily close school to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” the letter continues.

“Please enforce social distancing protocols and refrain from hosting or attending large gatherings outside of school so that we can collectively work to maintain a safe school environment. Thank you for your continued support as we work to prioritize student safety and learning during these challenging times.”

Questions can be directed to Marlboro High School administrators at (732) 617-8393.

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