POLICY GUIDE ADMINISTRATION 1648.11/page 1 of 3 The Road Forward COVID-19 – Health and Safety Aug 21 M [See POLICY ALERT No. 224] 1648.11 THE ROAD FORWARD COVID-19 – HEALTH AND SAFETY The Board of Education plans to provide full-day, full-time, in-person instruction and operations for the 2021-2022 school year. In June 2021, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) and the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) worked collaboratively to develop guidance, The Road Forward – Health and Safety Guidance for the 2021-2022 School Year (The Road Forward). The Road Forward replaces the mandatory anticipated minimum standards outlined in the NJDOE’s “The Road Back – Restart and Recovery Plan for Education” (June 2020) and provides a range of recommendations rather than mandatory standards. These recommendations are meant to assist school districts in implementing protocols to reduce risks to students and staff from COVID-19 while still allowing for full-time learning. The Board considered many factors as they prepared for the 2021-2022 school year, including the level of COVID-19 transmission in the community at large and in the school community, as well as vaccination coverage rates in both the community at large and the school community. For the purpose of this Policy, “Order” shall mean any Governor of New Jersey Executive Order, New Jersey State Agency mandate, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, New Jersey statute, or administrative code requiring compliance by the school district. The Board considered the recommendations outlined in The Road Forward to develop health and safety protocols. The Board will consider all recommended Orders and comply with all mandatory Orders when developing health and safety protocols and reviewing them periodically. The Board considered the recommendations outlined in The Road Forward to develop the school district’s COVID-19 protocols in the following areas: ADMINISTRATION  Copyright 2021  Strauss Esmay Associates, LLP  1886 Hinds Road  Suite 1  Toms River, NJ 08753-8199  732-255-1500 POLICY GUIDE 1648.11/page 2 of 3 The Road Forward COVID-19 – Health and Safety A. General Health and Safety Concerns of Students, Staff Members, and Visitors 1. Vaccination; 2. Communication with the Local Health Department; 3. Mask Wearing Protocol; 4. Physical Distancing and Cohorting Protocols; 5. Hand Hygiene and Respiratory Etiquette Protocols; 6. Provision of Meals; and 7. Transportation Protocols. B. Cleaning, Disinfection, and Airflow. C. Screening, Exclusion, and Response to Symptomatic Students and Staff Members. D. Contact Tracing. E. Testing. F. Student and Staff Member Travel. The absence of one or more of the recommendations outlined in The Road Forward and/or in the school district’s health and safety protocols will not prevent the reopening of the school(s) in the district for full-day in-person operation with all enrolled students and staff members present.  Copyright 2021  Strauss Esmay Associates, LLP  1886 Hinds Road  Suite 1  Toms River, NJ 08753-8199  732-255-1500 POLICY GUIDE ADMINISTRATION 1648.11/page 3 of 3 The Road Forward COVID-19 –Health and Safety Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-9, schools must be in session for 180 days to receive State Aid. The statute requires that school facilities be provided for at least 180 days during the school year. N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-9(b) indicates when a school district is required to close the schools of the district for more than three consecutive school days due to a declared state of emergency, declared public health emergency, or a directive and/or recommendation by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health-related closure, days of virtual or remote instruction commensurate with in-person instruction will count toward the school district's 180-day requirement. The school district may be confronted with the incidence of COVID-19 positive cases among staff and/or students. If the school district is required to exclude a student, group of students, a class, or multiple classes as a result of possible exposure to COVID-19, while the school itself remains open for in-person instruction, the school district may offer virtual or remote instruction to those students in a manner commensurate with in-person instruction to the extent possible. In circumstances when the school facilities remain open and in-person instruction continues in those c