Greater Gathering Limit Key For Changes In Moorestown School Plan

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Apparently, the restaurant industry isn’t the only one waiting for a return to 50 percent indoor capacity. The Moorestown Public School District is in that line, too.

Superintendent of Schools Scott McCartney said a return to 50 percent indoor gathering limits would be one of the catalysts to expand in-person learning at Moorestown’s schools during Tuesday night’s Board of Education meeting.

“We feel that 50 percent gives enough comfort to parents that we can do it safely,” McCartney said. “We had to set some benchmark, and 50 percent is what I keep hearing as the next benchmark from the governor.”

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

The district’s original plan called for students attending school via the hybrid method to attend class in-person two days a week and learn remotely the other three days. Read more here: Moorestown School Reopen Plan Includes In-Person, Remote Learning

But after Gov. Phil Murphy put a limit of 25 percent on indoor gatherings in August, the district pulled back on that plan, saying that it would be difficult to serve lunch to students indoors while following social distancing guidelines to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The district cut in-person learning back to one half-day a week. Read more here: Moorestown Schools Reopening Plan Altered By NJ Gathering Limit

That can increase if the indoor gathering limits increase, McCartney said. The district would first have to explore various options, including transportation; the rehiring of food service workers who were laid off due to the pandemic; modifying class lists; reviewing the needs of staff and supervisors; and modifying the district’s afternoon schedule.

There’s also a cost to bringing back more teachers for expanded in-person learning, at $75,000 a teacher, according to McCartney.

It would then be another three or four weeks before the transition could be complete, McCartney said. Part of the transition would be finding classes to place students, as well as using more trailers. The district would have to go through an approval process from the New Jersey Department of Education, McCartney said.

Some students have already shifted from 100 percent remote to the hybrid method, according to Director of Special Education Services Dr. David Tate.

“Every time we bring back a small group of students, it takes two to three weeks,” Tate said.
Restaurants have been eagerly anticipating an increase to 50 percent capacity, with some state-level officials in the Democratic Party calling on Murphy to make the move. Read more here: Burlington County Senator Calls For Indoor Dining Increase

Since June, restaurants have been open for outdoor dining. Other school districts have also used outdoor seating at lunchtime, something McCartney said the district did consider. However, considering the size of the tent they would need for all the students while following social distancing guidelines, he said that option was “not feasible.”

Families aren’t just interested in increasing the number of days. Some have expressed interest in a full return to school, five days a week, McCartney said.

“This is the most challenging step to moving forward,” McCartney said.

It would only really be possible if social distancing guidelines were to be lifted, or if the pandemic were to be completely resolved, McCartney said. This would include the emergence of a vaccine or treatments for the coronavirus.

Depending on how many students would want to return to in-person learning, the district might not be able to accommodate everyone and may have to institute some kind of lottery system, McCartney said.

There are also concerns about how cold/flu season will impact the pandemic, and what impact these decisions will have on the budget. Read more here: Flu Shots More Important Than Ever Amid Pandemic, Virtua Says

The district has been making some changes to their reopening plan that was approved last month. Read more here: About 300 Moorestown Parents Seek Change To Remote Learning Plan

The district has:

• Added completion times and online links to parents and students;
• Reallocated time for remote students;
• Modified the schedule for students with special needs;
• Incorporated flex time for students in Grades 7-12, so they can meet with teachers; and
• Added resources for staff as it relates to synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Additionally, access to high school sporting events has also been expanded to spectators, and Back-to-School Nights will be held virtually.

The district administration and the pandemic review teams are reviewing the changes. The plan will be under constant review, and the district is exploring its options for re-entry at the start of each marking period.

Overall, enrollment in the school district is down from 3,961 at this time last year to 3,818 as of Oct. 1, according to numbers provided by the district. Enrollment is up at the high school (1,294 compared to 1,267 last year), but is down at the other four schools.

“Some people are moving as they usually do, but some are looking for other options,” McCartney said. “At least some of it was COVID-related.”

As far as academics are concerned, district officials said students are about two-and-a-half weeks behind where they expected to be at this point in the school year.

Board of Education President Sandra Alberti said schools would likely be behind even if they were meeting fully in-person, due to the trauma the students underwent when they were suddenly thrust into an all-remote learning environment in the spring. She also believes the impacts of that will be felt for the next several years.

“We need to get out of the coverage mentality and support the students as learners,” Alberti said. “That’s compromised when we’re concerned about pacing.”

The district said it can reach out to parents to let them know how they can help with pacing and learning issues at home.

The district has seen about $213,000 in losses due to the pandemic, Board Member David Weinstein said. He said the district has applied for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and approval is pending.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.