In a video and slide show presentation announcement this afternoon, the South Orange & Maplewood School District announced that “phased hybrid re-entry reopening for all remaining grade levels will be on hold until Monday, April 19.”
A slide presentation which is accessed by a link in an email to district families explains that, while Phase 3 hybrid instruction will continue, further re-entry to in-person instruction is being delayed due to the challenges presented by the winter months “to our buildings, especially with the added level of scrutiny that COVID requires of our HVAC systems.”
The presentation also notes that the NJ Essex County COVID-19 Activity Level Index Score is currently “high” or “orange,” a level that the district has been at since November 13, 2020. The presentation contains updates on case numbers in the district and both townships (Maplewood and South Orange) that it serves, as well as a copy of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s latest executive order pertaining to school re-openings. Additionally, the district notes that 41 teachers throughout K-12 have received permission to work from home with another 14 requests pending.
Village Green has requested a plain text version of the presentation for easier review and dissemination and will update this story should we receive the text. Meanwhile, the slide presentation can be access through this link: http://bit.ly/3s2L0mB. Below are two slides representing the Executive Summary of the presentation:
