Millburn Schools In Fall: Full-Day Learning, Maybe Masks

MILLBURN, NJ — What will the start of school look like in the fall?

In her first June update to the school community, Millburn Superintendent of Schools Christine Burton said she has been meeting with principals and other officials to discuss the matter.

As coronavirus vaccinations increase and new cases decline, New Jersey schools are following state guidance to plan for fall. But guidance changes as the pandemic evolves.

The state of New Jersey expects schools to reopen on-site in fall, but for now, officials believe students will still have to wear masks. Read more about that here.

Burton said she and other superintendents aren't so sure about the mask guidance.

"I have been meeting with all of the principals over the last month to address the planning for the fall," wrote Burton in an update June 4. "We are scheduling for a full day of school with all students in school every day. The day will include lunch at all schools, recess at the elementary schools, and live Related Arts/ Specials classes."

She noted, "There have been some minor revisions to building schedules to accommodate the new start times and lunch/recess schedules for the buildings. The buses for both mandated and subscription students will be up and running.

"We do not yet have guidance from the state on distance requirements, so we are designing classrooms and spaces based on the distance of 3 feet. We can run school with this requirement, and of course we are hopeful that social distancing restrictions will be eliminated.

"As of now, we anticipate that masks will be required in schools. There is a push from superintendents around the state to drop the mask mandate at schools as it is no longer required in other public spaces. We await guidance from the Department of Education and Department of Health."

She said, "We will have some challenges to overcome with the current guidelines, but I anticipate that as the summer moves along, the restrictions we have today will loosen up even more, making it easier to prepare for the first day of school and a school year as close to normal as possible!"

Burton expected to share more details in the most recent board meeting on June 7 and in future meetings.

Find out about the board meetings here.

Check out the tentative Millburn school calendars through 2024 here.

In-School Covid Testing Dates

Tuesday, June 15

10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Millburn High School
3 p.m. - 5 p.m. - Hartshorn School

Wednesday, June 23

Pre-Camp/Pre-Vacation Testing:

1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. - Hartshorn School

Register Here: https://backtoworksolutions.com/MillburnPSD.html

Read the full instructions and FAQ here to learn how to register and make an appointment.

Questions about billing can be found here.

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