SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Trying to plan for the reopening of schools in September is “daunting” and “feels impossible some days,” according to Scott Feder, superintendent of the South Brunswick School District.
“I think we are in a situation right now that is even bigger than we think, and we are thinking it’s pretty big right now,” Feder said during a Board of Education meeting on July 23.
Feder said he does not know what Sept. 8, the intended start date for South Brunswick’s schools, will look like, but he said district administrators will make the best decisions they can with the information they have.
“Whatever final plan this is, we are going to have a contingency of people … who are thrilled … and other people who will come with pitchforks to the same exact party,” he said.
Feder said there is no guarantee schools can open safely, just as there is no guarantee a child with a peanut allergy will never come across peanut butter in school, or just as transportation can never guarantee a child will never be on a school bus that is involved in an accident.
However, he said the priority for district administrators is the safety and health of students and staff members.
Feder said he will propose to Gov. Phil Murphy that the government should open all statewide indoor venues at full capacity now – one month before school is scheduled to begin – to test the waters.
The superintendent said the South Brunswick School District is responsible for 10,000 lives every day. He said he does not want 1.6 million students and educators across New Jersey to be “the subject of an experiment.”
“Before sending 1.4 million children into schools you better be able to open a dining hall … and make sure we know how to manage that as a society,” Feder said. “We can’t allow schools to be the first test case. It’s too risky.”
Feder said people can’t eat inside a restaurant or go to a movie theater with friends. He said some college administrators have decided to close their schools’ doors even though he said adults are capable of sitting with a mask on, 6 feet apart from each other.
“The contradiction of this is breeding anxiety for everyone involved,” the superintendent said of the governor’s directive that schools must reopen in September.
On July 20, Murphy directed New Jersey school administrators to provide an all-remote education option for parents who do not want to send their children to a school building in September. Additional details regarding remote learning were expected to be released by the state Department of Education on July 24.
Feder said he will unveil a more definitive plan for the reopening of South Brunswick’s schools on Aug. 4. The finalized plan is dependent upon any future directives mandated by the state.
“We all know children cannot learn if they are not first safe,” said John Lolli, president of the South Brunswick Education Association.
