Ocean City Schools Moving Forward With Reopening Plan

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Despite changing state guidelines and the option to begin the school year all-remote, the Ocean City School District will move forward with its reopening plan.

Eighty-nine percent of parents in the district said in a survey they would like their child to return to in-person learning, according to Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor. Students in those families will participate in a hybrid education plan in which they physically attend school two days per week.

New Jersey families can also for their child to learn completely remotely.

“I want to reassure you that in Ocean City, we have worked through those health and safety standards, followed the CDC’s Health Guidelines and Considerations for Schools, and consulted exhaustively with our County Health Department to develop our Return to School Plan," Taylor said Thursday in a letter to the district.

County officials have reviewed the school district's plan and determined it meets all elements of the New Jersey Department of Education's Reopening Document Checklist. See the outline here.

Governor Phil Murphy announced last week that districts can choose to begin the school year with all-remote learning. At least two-dozen districts — mostly in North and Central Jersey — have chosen this option.

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The New Jersey Department of Health also offered its own guidelines Thursday for keeping schools open in the fall. The guidelines lists scenarios in which the DOH would recommend school closures, including identification of two or more cases within 14 days across multiple classrooms. Read more: Here's How The Coronavirus Could Close Any NJ School

State officials confirmed Wednesday that at least 139 school districts want an all-remote start of the school year. Read more: NJ: 139 School Districts Want All-Remote Start Amid Coronavirus

Read more: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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