Verona Public Schools Reopening Plan Shifts to Stage 2
August 25, 2020
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff:
Our school district continues to monitor the evolving public health situation with respect to our school reopening plan. As you know, our district has been working on our plan for several months with our community task force. Our school reopening plan includes four (4) stages that allow us the flexibility to transition at a moment's notice based on the circumstances before us.
We continue to deal with a great deal of uncertainty during these unprecedented times. All of us, especially our teachers, want to return to school. Our top priority remains to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff. As a result of recent developments, the Verona Public School district will shift our school reopening plan from Stage 3 to Stage 2 for all schools. In the Stage 2 plan, the majority of students will learn through remote, live stream instruction. Some exceptions will include in-person learning for students in Preschool, Kindergarten, Grade 1, English Language Learners, self-contained special educations, social-emotional wellness, and other specific populations identified by our schools. The shift to this plan is necessary based on circumstances with respect to facilities and staffing our schools in a safe and effective manner under the current public health conditions related to COVID. Stage 2 of our reopening plan will be in effect from September 14th through November 6th, at which time we will provide an update to our parents and staff. We all feel the gravity of these decisions as we develop protocols that enable us to safely reopen schools. It is important to recognize this may not be the September that any of us envisioned.
Windows
Facility issues continue to be a concern as we attempt to implement Stage 3 of our plan. Even with a reduced number of students in our classrooms, the issues with facilities are further compounded under this public health concern. As part of the recent referendum, many of the necessary improvements have been put into motion through this summer’s construction progress. We are currently experiencing delays in construction due to the impact of COVID on materials from manufacturers. For example, the window repairs at four schools have been successfully completed. However, we still await the delivery of all of the new windows slated to be replaced at H.B. Whitehorne Middle School and F.N. Brown Elementary School. In these instances, there are windows that are inoperable thereby creating inadequate ventilation issues with students in the classroom under these circumstances. We anticipate this work to be completed this fall. Further, we have been working to relocate classroom and office spaces from areas that have no windows to new locations with windows for improved ventilation. This task has posed no easy feat from a room utilization perspective for scheduling classes, even with a reduced number of in-person students under the Stage 3 plan.
Ventilation
The Verona High School ventilation system is currently being replaced as part of our referendum. We have experienced delays attributed to slowed manufacturing due to COVID’s impact on equipment construction. At this point, we are being told that the ventilation equipment is slated to arrive in early September and may be operational for the first day of school. As is the nature with school construction under the best of circumstances, delays due to equipment delivery and install are possible. In the event that the system is not operational by September 14th, Verona High School would shift to remote for all students and staff until the ventilation is functioning. We will keep the community apprised of the progress as we expect to know more in time.
We continue to work with manufacturers and engineers regarding our initial hope and intent to improve classroom and office air filtration by installing MERV-13 filters in ventilation systems. Any new ventilation systems we install will be capable of handling MERV-13 filters. However, these enhanced filters are unable to be accommodated in the existing units because they exceed manufacturer requirements. As a result, these filters would place undue pressure on the system thereby creating issues with equipment operation and warranty coverage.
Staffing
Over the past several weeks, our district has experienced an increase in requests for staff accommodations and/or leave requests as a result of the conditions of facilities and the evolving public health situation. Some of our staff members are facing significant issues that impact their ability to return to work. The district is working closely with our staff to address their medical, family, and child care needs through the Family First Coronavirus Response Act and NJ Department of Labor guidance.
There is reduced interest in people willing to work in our schools under the Stage 3 plan. We have recently received several staff resignations based on this public health situation. We are also working through a staff shortage as we try to secure adequate daily substitute teachers for all of our schools. Without the appropriate staffing, the operation of our Stage 3 plan would be unrealistic. Verona is not alone in these challenges that other districts similarly face. In time, we anticipate the number of leave requests to increase as more school districts choose to start the year remotely, further impacting child care concerns.
As a school district, we continuously adjust to constantly changing directives from the state government and Department of Education. Further, the NJ Department of Health guidelines released new protocols last week which may be found here. Stage 2 of our school reopening plan will allow us to most effectively address these guidelines based on our current constraints. Stage 2 will also provide an increase to the amount of instructional time for most of our students when compared to Stage 3 of our reopening plan. We recognize that this change in the schedule will create challenges for some families. This plan, although not ideal for everyone, is necessary in order to most effectively deliver teaching and learning for our children while ensuring the safe operation of our schools.
I have the utmost faith in our teachers and staff as we embark on this journey together. I am confident our faculty will provide robust learning experiences for our students in a synchronous, live stream environment that will keep your children highly engaged. Our community may access all updates and information on our district and school websites under COVID-19 Information Updates or by clicking the following link. There is no change at this time with the athletic and marching band programs which solely operate outdoors as we continue to follow the NJSIAA and New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association guidelines.
Details regarding specific schedules and coordination will be forthcoming in the days ahead from your building principal. The Montclair YMCA and Verona Executive Kids are just two local organizations that have childcare and remote learning options for parents. Our school counselors are available should you or your child need additional support. Please contact your principal directly should you have any questions. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and understanding as we navigate this evolving situation together. Stay safe and be well.
All my best,
