With COVID-19 cases rising throughout New Jersey, school districts are reminded that they must consult with the local health department to determine if a closure is necessary, according to a memo from the New Jersey Department of Education.
Such determinations should be made on a building-by-building basis, depending upon the impact of COVID-19 in each building. Once a local educational agency has consulted with the local health department and has determined that remote learning is the safest option for students and staff, the County Office of Education should be promptly notified of the decision and the LEA can begin using the NJDOE-approved remote learning plan for the school buildings impacted.
In order to assess the impact of COVID-19 on in-person learning, the NJDOE requests that all school districts, charter and renaissance schools and approved private schools for students with disabilities report the names of individual school buildings that are ceasing in-person instruction and transitioning to remote learning due to COVID-19, to the County Office of Education. This information should also include the date on which the local education agency plans to resume in-person instruction.
For more information regarding the requirements to implement remote learning, LEAs can review the NJDOE broadcast, “Local Educational Agency Guidance for Chapter 27 Emergency Virtual or Remote Instruction Programs for the 2021-2022 School Year.”