West Orange Petition Supports School Reopening: 'Stay The Course'

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Some parents and community members in West Orange are urging local school administrators to “stay the course” when it comes to reopening for in-person classes amid the coronavirus crisis.

An online petition to “reopen our schools” has gained more than 200 signatures as of Monday.

The petition, aimed at Superintendent Scott Cascone and members of the board of education, reads:

“Thank you for the effort you have been putting into reopening West Orange schools safely after over nine long months during which many children have suffered emotionally and fallen behind academically in our district.

“At this late stage and with so many setbacks, our request is that you stay the course in the face of opposition, and open to the greatest extent possible for all students—with in-person opportunities five days a week for elementary and special education students by the date of January 19, 2021 to allow for quarantine time after the holiday season.

“The science overwhelmingly suggests that young children are not driving transmission of COVID-19, and schools can be safe places for staff and students of all ages, even with spread in the greater community. This is particularly true with simple, low-tech precautions – for example masking, face shields, limiting close contact, cohorts and opening windows for ventilation.

“Many local public and private schools, following CDC and state guidelines, have been running for months without major issue. Notably, the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club are operating smoothly in some of our school buildings. Even when cases do occur, the testing, tracing and quarantining process used in other districts has been proven sufficient in limiting in-school spread.

“To ignore all of this evidence is to further children and families’ suffering with no rational justification.

“Neither the CDC nor the state of New Jersey mandates the additional air filtration projects, but our district has gone truly above and beyond with preparing for this concern as well. We believe the existing guidelines, which we already exceed, are highly effective, as evidenced by the low number of outbreaks traced to thousands of schools across the state.

“While we sympathize with fears of the unknown, we do not want to be driven by fear when making such important decisions. Many of us can no longer afford to delay this return to school any further and will be forced to make difficult choices for the coming year. We must do our best to make special accommodations for staff and continue to offer a virtual option, but we cannot ignore the many in our community who need in-person education now.

“Please push forward, follow the science, and prioritize public education and a safe reopening. Thank you.”

• See related article: Montclair And Nutley Parents Protest, Demand Schools Reopen

The West Orange Public School District was one of several in Essex County that chose to start the school year with all-online classes. It was supposed to switch to a hybrid learning model in November, including some in-person classes. But administrators hit the brakes on their reopen plan as COVID-19 cases spiked throughout the region.

• See related article: West Orange Schools Pause Reopen Plan As COVID Cases Rise

West Orange schools are set to switch to a hybrid model starting in late January, with staff, Pre-K and some special education students returning on Jan. 19, and other students phasing in between Jan. 25 and Feb. 8 (see chart below).

Cascone offered a message about the ongoing reopening process on Saturday (watch video below).

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