On August 10, the HVRSD Board of Education approved the district’s reopening plan and forwarded it to the Department of Education as required. While we feel that we have a very strong reopening plan, one that protects the health and welfare of our students and staff, recent events suggest that it may be prudent to explore a “phased-in” approach to achieve the goal of offering safe, high-quality in-person instruction.
Taking this into consideration, and reflecting upon the flexibility provided by Governor Murphy released in Executive Order 175, we are exploring delaying our in-person return to school for all students and moving toward a “phased-in” approach to the start of the school year. Under this revision, the school year for all students would begin remotely on September 9th with in-person students returning in stages, beginning with our elementary and students with special needs in late September. The in-person students on the elementary level may also need to shift to an A/B day model. We believe that returning to school in stages may provide us with some flexibility in delivering an in-person instructional model, will assist us with the challenges associated with managing the reentry process during a public health crisis, and will help us to identify and navigate potential problems and obstacles. Any updates or changes to our plan will be shared as soon as possible.
We are particularly sensitive to the potential impact this shift may have on our working families and students with special needs. We have developed a plan to provide support for those families who may experience childcare challenges due to this shift. More detailed information will be shared if our plan is revised.
Again, thank you for your support and cooperation during this challenging time.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Smith, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools