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Wood-Ridge (035830) Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service
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LEA Name: Wood-Ridge Public Schools
Date: 5/20/24
Note that on May 17, 2021, Governor Murphy announced that upon the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, portions of Executive Order 175 allowing remote learning will be rescinded, meaning that schools will be required to provide full-day, in-person instruction, as they were prior to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The NJDOE and New Jersey Department of Health will share additional information regarding State requirements or guidance for health and safety protocols for the 2021-2022 school year as it becomes available.
Executive Order 251 was signed by Governor Murphy on August 9, 2021. Executive Order 251, in alignment with the recommendations of the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, requires that all staff, students, and visitors wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status, in the indoor premises of school buildings. This requirement applies to all public, private, and parochial preschool programs and elementary and secondary schools, including charter and renaissance schools.
On February 7, 2022, noting the significant decline of statewide COVID-19 metrics, Governor Phil Murphy announced that masks and facial coverings will no longer be mandated for students, staff, or visitors in schools or childcare centers effective March 7, 2022.
It is anticipated that this plan will be revised in order to reflect any changes in State requirements or guidance for health and safety protocols for the 2023-2024 school year as it becomes available.
1. Maintaining Health and Safety
For each mitigation strategy listed below (A-H), please describe how the LEA will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC.
A. Universal and correct wearing of masks
As per Governor Murphy’s announcement on February 7, 2022, the Wood-Ridge School District made the wearing of masks in schools optional for all students, staff, outside providers, and visitors regardless of vaccination status beginning on Monday, March 7, 2022. Any student, staff member, outside provider, or visitor may continue to wear a mask if they so choose.
B. Physical distancing (e.g., including use of cohorts/podding)
Though physical distancing recommendations must not prevent a school from offering full-day, full-time, in person learning to all students for the 2023-2024 school year, the Wood-Ridge Public School District will implement physical distancing measures as an effective COVID-19 prevention strategy to the extent that the district is equipped to do so while still providing regular school operations to all students and staff in-person. During periods of high community transmission or if vaccine coverage is low, if the maximal social distancing recommendations below cannot be maintained, the district will prioritize other prevention measures.
Within classrooms, maintain 3 feet of physical distancing to the greatest extent practicable, while offering full-time, in-person learning to all students.
Outside of classrooms including in hallways, locker areas, indoor and outdoor physical education settings, and school-sponsored transportation, maintain physical distancing to the greatest extent practicable.
Faculty and staff will adhere to social distancing guidelines when using faculty/staff common areas and eat lunch in identified areas. Faculty and staff may leave the building during their lunch period provided they check out and back in with the building administrator.
Students and staff with symptoms related to COVID-19 are safely and respectfully isolated from others. School officials follow current Communicable Disease Service guidance for illness reporting. Methods to assist in contact tracing includes records of groups, cohorts, assigned staff and daily attendance. Sections of this plan that address physical distancing are sections A.1.b (1); (2); (3). & (4), A. 1.; D. (2) & (3), A. 1.3. (2) (a) & (c) (iv), A. 1. H. (1) (a) & (d), A.1.i. (1) (b) & (3), and A. 1. J. (1).
C. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette
The district promotes behaviors that reduce the spread of COVID-19 such as encouraging staff and students to stay home when appropriate; encouraging the practice of hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette; Handwashing and hand sanitizing are permitted and encouraged throughout the school day. Each school prepares and maintains hand sanitizing stations with alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol). Such stations are located: in each classroom (for staff and older children who can use hand sanitizer); at entrances and exits of buildings; near lunchrooms and toilets; children ages five and younger are supervised when using hand sanitizer, for classrooms that have existing handwashing stations, stations are prepared with soap, water, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol). School officials developed a school-wide plan where students are required to wash hands for at least twenty seconds at regular intervals during the school day and always before eating, after using the bathroom, and after blowing their nose, coughing, and/or sneezing (or washing with an alcohol-based sanitizer of at least 60% alcohol), especially during those limited instances when the individual may be unmasked. People are also required to wash their hands after removing their gloves or after directly handling used food service items. The district’s plan also adheres to all applicable social distancing requirements and hygiene protocols during any extra-curricular activities. Sections of the plan that address handwashing and respiratory etiquette are sections A.1.a.(1)(d), A.1.b.(7) & (8), A.1.h. (1) (e), A. 1. I. (1) (d), and A.1.j. (1). Appendices of the Fall 2020 Plan that address this topic are appendices A, B, H, I, and J.
D. Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation
Transportation
Drivers and bus aides have the option to wear masks and use hand sanitizer when entering the bus for the first time. Drivers and aides continue to use hand sanitizer as warranted. provided to. Students maintain social distance and have the option to wear masks while waiting for the bus**. When possible, students are seated individually in every other row. When boarding the bus, students load from back to front. When exiting the bus, students exit from front to back. When weather conditions permit, bus windows are opened to allow for fresh air. Each bus is cleaned daily. Individual bus seats are sanitized between each use.
Instructional Spaces
The district consults Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting from the CDC for the recommended list of acceptable sanitizing solutions and procedures. The district uses produce from the EPA’s list of acceptable products for use against SARS-CoV-2. The district maintains an adequate supply of cleaning supplies, including hand sanitizer, gloves, and face coverings to allow for a six-month supply. The staff disinfects during the school day for touchpoints, including but not limited to, phones, door handles, light switches, physical education equipment, classroom entrance ways/transom hallway/stairwell banisters and handrails, restroom flushing handles and sink handles, and desk surfaces. Custodians disinfect classrooms, isolation areas, and nurses’ offices frequently during the day. Staff wipes down any items that may be shared among students with appropriate disinfecting materials. Each classroom is provided with appropriate disinfecting materials so that desks can be sanitized between classes (when one group of students is leaving and another one is entering). Appropriate disinfecting materials are provided for each classroom so that desks can be sanitized after eating. All surfaces are cleaned when the school day has concluded using soap or cleaning solution followed by sanitizer. A spray or sanitizing disinfectant is used throughout the building, in small spaces, when the school day has concluded. It is administered using an atomizer and given proper dwell time as recommended by the manufacturer. Custodial and maintenance staff are trained on the proper cleaning and sanitizing procedures, and faculty and staff are notified about cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Classroom windows are opened as often as possible when weather permits in order to allow for fresh air. All outside damper units regularly circulate in outside air at a minimum of 25%. They are adjusted depending on outside conditions. Each classroom had an additional air purifier (ENVIRO KLENZ) device installed in September of 2021. The district has a preventative maintenance plan in place for all equipment. It is updated to include additional tasks for more frequent cleaning of the interior of HVAC materials. The district follows the manufacturer’s recommendations for the replacement of unit air filters. The interior of refrigerated devices (where the virus can potentially survive for longer periods of time) are disinfected regularly. Desks/ lunch tables will be cleaned after each lunch use with disinfecting materials appropriate for sanitization for any food allergies. Disinfecting materials are stored in the classroom and staff on lunch duty will be notified about the cleaning procedures. Parents/guardians are encouraged to send their child with bottled water, and touchless water bottle fill stations are in the process of being installed. The school district mitigates risk, limits and/or eliminates direct contact with equipment and does not allow the sharing of equipment. If equipment must be shared, the equipment is cleaned and disinfected between each use. Sections of the plan that address cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation, are sections A.1.c.(3), A.1.g, A.1.h (1)(a) & (c) , A.1.i. (1)(c) & (g)(i), A.1.i.(2), and A.1.i.(3).
E. Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments
Procedures for symptomatic staff and students include students and staff with symptoms related to COVID-19 are safely and respectfully isolated from others. School officials follow Communicable Disease Service guidelines for illness reporting. If the school district becomes aware that an individual who has spent time in a district facility tests positive for COVID-19, officials immediately notify the local health officials, staff, and families of a confirmed case while maintaining confidentiality. The procedure the district uses when someone presents with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 includes the establishment of an isolation space. Students remain in isolation with continued supervision and care until picked up by an authorized adult. The district follows current Communicable Disease Center guidelines for illness reporting. An adequate amount of PPE is available, accessible, and provided for use. Methods to assist in contact tracing includes records with Department of Health guidance and information for schools and Department of Health/Center for Disease Control Quick Reference Guidance on Discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions and Home Isolation for Persons Diagnosed with COVID-19.The district also engages the expertise of the school nursing staff on the importance of contact tracing. Each school has a Pandemic Response Team which is responsible for each school’s implementation of the plan, particularly health and safety measures.
Sections of this plan that address contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine are sections A. 1. c. A.q.f, and B.2.g.
F. Diagnostic and screening testing
Parents/caregivers are strongly encouraged to monitor their children for signs of illness every day as they are in the front line for assessing illness in their children. Students who are sick should not attend school. Schools should strictly enforce exclusion criteria for both students and staff. Schools should educate parents about the importance of monitoring symptoms and keeping children home while ill. The school district reserves the right to implement the use of screening procedures include the following: staff must visually check students for symptoms upon arrival (which may include temperature checks) and/or confirm with families that students were free of COVID-19 symptoms; health checks must be conducted safely and respectfully, and in accordance with any applicable privacy laws and regulations; results must be documented when signs/symptoms of COVID-19 are observed; any screening policy/protocol must take into account students with disabilities and accommodations that may be needed in the screening process for those students.
Exclusion from School Setting
Parents should not send students to school when sick. For school settings, NJDOH recommends that students with the following symptoms be promptly isolated from others and excluded from school:
At least two of the following symptoms: fever (measure or subjective), chills, rigors (shivers), myalgia (muscle aches), headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, congestion, or runny nose; OR
At least one of the following symptoms: new or worsening cough**, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new olfactory disorder (smell), or new taste disorder.
For students with chronic illness, only new symptoms or symptoms worse than baseline should be used to fulfill symptom-based exclusion criteria.
For students with chronic illness, only new symptoms, or symptoms worse than baseline should be used to fulfill symptom-based exclusion criteria**.
Sections of this plan that address diagnostic and screening procedures are A.1.d. (1) and A.1.e.
G. Efforts to provide vaccination to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible
Most educators and staff members voluntarily made vaccination appointments and were vaccinated. In conjunction with the Bergen County Board of Health, staff members who were not yet vaccinated participated in a random drawing to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in Paramus. In addition, our local municipality provided times for staff members and eligible students to receive their vaccination. The district will continue to consult with our school doctor and partner with local pharmacies/county agencies to provide eligible staff members and students access to the COVID-19 vaccine. Approximately 80% or eligible staff members are fully vaccinated. All efforts will be made to get the vaccine to eligible school community members, if so desired.
There is currently no requirement for vaccination by either the State of New Jersey or the Wood-Ridge Public Schools for students or staff as of 12/19/22.
H. Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies
Reasonable accommodations were provided for individuals that the CDC identified as having a higher risk for severe illness form COVID-19 such as medically fragile students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), students with complex disabilities with IEPs or students who require accommodations under a Plan in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (504 Plan). Accommodations were also made for those younger students or individuals with disabilities who could not wear a face covering and addressed according to a student’s particular need and in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. An exception to the requirement for a mask was also made if a student had a documented medical condition or disability as reflected in an IEP that precluded the use of a mask. As of Monday, March 7, 2022, mask wearing became optional**. Sections of this plan that address appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to health and safety policies are sections A.1.a(1)(e), A.1.b.(2)(a), A.1.c.(1) & (2), A.1.e.(1)(d), A.1.e.(5), A.1.e.(6)(d), A.2 and B.1.d. Appendices of the Fall 2020 Plan that addresses this topic are appendices A, B, C, E, K, and L.
2. Ensuring Continuity of Services
A. Describe how the LEA will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address students’ academic needs and students’ and staff’s social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services.
The district has identified certain needs that will be funded by the CRRSA-ESSER II & III Grants and ARP Grants that will provide a continuation of services for students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The district is planning to provide therapeutic care for identified students who have experienced isolation, trauma, depression, and anxiety. This therapeutic care will include individual and family counseling to support students’ academic success and mental health needs. The district has entered into a shared services agreement with the Moonachie School District to provide a shared Social Worker for on-site care for students and staff members, Our Summer Transition Programs and Extended School Day Programs will continue with a focus on the acceleration, rather than remediation, of learning. The district has also included in their CRRSA-ESSER II&III grants and ARP grant applications in conjunction with district funds, the employment of a district wide behaviorist, an additional school counselor, a grades 4-6 Math Interventionist, and two Reading Specialists. Social-emotional learning will also be a key factor in student success. The district is budgeting for SEL training for professional staff to strengthen SEL, promote SEL for students, and to develop a plan for addressing the emotional fallout of the trauma of COVID-19. The district will continue to support any PPE and building supplies needed to continue to offer the level of care needed to support the health and safety of students and staff.
3. Public Comment
A. Describe how the LEA sought public comment on its plan, and how it took those public comments into account in the development of its plan. Note, the ARP requires that LEAs seek public comment for each 60-day revision to the plan.
The Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services template submission will be approved by the Wood-Ridge Board of Education at the May 20, 2024 Board meeting. This will serve as the eighth revision of this document and first since December of 2023. The document will be shared with all district staff and enrolled student families prior to the meeting for public review. This is a public meeting of the governing body.
B. Describe how the LEA ensured that the plan is an understandable and uniform format; is to the extent practicable written in a language that parents can understand or, if not practicable to provide written translations to a parent with limited English proficiency, will be orally translated for such a parent; and upon request by a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the ADA, will be provided in an alternative format accessible to that parent.
The School Reopening Plan will be published on the district website at www.wood-ridgeschools.org, and the Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services will be posted there as well, once it is Board approved. For those members of the public whose first language is not English, translated versions will be supplied. The text of the Reopening Plan is understandable and follows a clear format, making it easy for people to access the area they wish. Upon request and if necessary, an individual with a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act will be provided information in an alternative format that is accessible for that parent or guardian.