West Orange Schools Hit Brakes On Reopen Plan: Coronavirus Update

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Another school district in Essex County has hit the brakes on its plan to reopen for some in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, the West Orange Public School District announced that it will be postponing its plan to roll out a “hybrid” learning model on Nov. 9. The district was one of several in the area that chose to start the school year with all-online classes.

West Orange High School currently serves about 2,175 students. At 25 percent capacity, 544 students would be indoors, not including 192 teachers and an additional 143 members of the support staff.

When virtual classes began in September, district officials reported that for the most part, it went smoothly. Teachers – who were allowed to work from their classrooms or remotely from home – estimated that the overwhelming majority of students attended virtual classes on the opening day of school.

• See related article: West Orange School Reopening Goes Smoothly, With A Few Hiccups

The march to a hybrid model continued with a Nov. 9 start date. But since then, the town has seen a “significant rise in cases,” including several confirmed COVID-19 cases at schools, administrators said.

• See related article: West Orange COVID-19 Numbers Headed In Wrong Direction, Officials Say

Last week, Superintendent of Schools Scott Cascone, the district physician and town health officials kicked off an “earnest conversation” about whether it’s feasible to safely reopen for in-person learning.

“Having received a written opinion from the district physician and with support of the West Orange Department of Health to postpone the hybrid model, I feel obliged to follow this guidance at this time,” Cascone said Thursday.

On Wednesday, the West Orange Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss the prospect of reopening with a hybrid model. The virtual forum drew hundreds of viewers.

Commenting on the meeting, Councilwoman Cindy Matute-Brown called the decision “astute,” and added that she was “incredibly alarmed” by reports of cheerleaders and football players with no masks and not social distancing.

Cascone offered the following updates about the situation on Thursday:

• The fall virtual schedule will resume on Monday, November 9
• Plans are underway to modify the daily schedules to afford students additional live instruction. This “winter virtual” schedule will commence at the beginning of the second marking period/trimester.
• Trends in new confirmed cases will be monitored and reviewed on a weekly basis with the public health and medical authorities to assess risk level and the advisability and safety of commencing the hybrid model.
• Present district operations will remain constant with an evaluation and effort to scale up on the introduction of additional, smaller cohorts of specialized populations and students in need of on-site supports.
• An increased emphasis will be placed on social emotional supports including opportunities for socialization either virtual and/or in person when safe to do so, as well as fostering a higher level of student engagement and interaction within the virtual learning platform

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