Montgomery Township School District’s Proposed Plan for
Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services
(THIS ITERATION OF THE PLAN IS FROM Spring 2024)
LEA Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Service
Pursuant to the Federal American Rescue Plan Act, Section 2001(i)
Introduction and Background
As announced in the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE)’s April 28, 2021 broadcast, in March 2021 President Biden signed the Federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, Public Law 117-2, into law. The ARP Act provides an additional $122 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) to States and school districts to help safely reopen, sustain the safe operation of schools, and address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s students. As with the previous ESSER funds available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA), the purpose of the additional funding is to support local educational agencies (LEAs) in preparing for and responding to the impacts of COVID-19 on educators, students, and families. Additional information on ARP ESSER may be found in the NJDOE’s funding comparison fact sheet.
Section 2001(i)(1) of the ARP Act requires each LEA that receives ARP ESSER funds to develop and make publicly available on the LEA’s website, no later than 30 days after receiving ARP ESSER funds, a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services for all schools (Safe Return Plan) A Safe Return Plan is required of all fund recipients, including those that have already returned to in-person instruction. Section 2001(i)(2) of the ARP Act further requires that the LEA seek public comment on the Safe Return Plan and take those comments into account in finalization of the Safe Return Plan. Under the interim final requirements published in Volume 86, No. 76 of the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), an LEA must periodically, but no less frequently than every six months through September 30, 2023, review and, as appropriate, revise its Safe Return Plan.
Pursuant to those requirements, LEAs must submit to the NJDOE and post on their website their Safe Return Plans by June 24, 2021. The NJDOE intends to make LEA ARP ESSER Fund applications available in EWEG on May 24, 2021 and LEAs will submit their Safe Return Plans to the NJDOE via EWEG. To assist LEAs with the development of their Safe Return Plans, the NJDOE is providing the following template.
This template incorporates the federally-required components of the Safe Return Plan. The questions in the template below will be included in the LEA ARP ESSER Fund application in EWEG. LEAs will submit responses to the questions within the LEA ARP ESSER Fund application in EWEG by June 24, 2021. The NJDOE hopes that this template will allow LEAs to effectively plan for that submission and to easily post the information to their websites as required by the ARP Act.
Note that on May 17, 2021, Governor Murphy announced that upon the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year, portions of Executive Order 175 allowing remote learning will be rescinded, meaning that schools will be required to provide full-day, in-person instruction, as they were prior to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. The NJDOE and New Jersey Department of Health will share additional information regarding State requirements or guidance for health and safety protocols for the 2021-2022 school year as it becomes available.
Template: LEA Plan for Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services
LEA Name: Montgomery Township School District
Date (6/01/2023): Date Revised (6/01/2024):
1. Maintaining Health and Safety
For each mitigation strategy listed below (A–H), please describe how the LEA will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC.
A. Universal and correct wearing of masks: Montgomery Township School District is following guidance provided by Governor Murphy to lift the universal mask mandate as of March 7, 2022, and has implemented a mask-optional policy.
B. Physical distancing (e.g., including use of cohorts/podding): Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools.
C. Handwashing and respiratory etiquette: Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. The District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction and is following the CDC, NJDOE, New Jersey Executive Orders, and NJ Department of Health guidance for handwashing and respiratory etiquette.
Handwashing: District administrators in conjunction with the Facilities Department will continue to support healthy hygiene behaviors by providing adequate supplies at the District’s expense, including soap, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (for staff and older children who can safely use hand sanitizer), paper towels, tissues, disinfectant wipes, and cloth face coverings (as feasible). Hand washing stations will be maintained with soap, water, and alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Signage will be displayed throughout buildings to encourage hand washing and sanitizing.
Respiratory Etiquette: Students and staff will be encouraged to wash their hands throughout the school day, including but not limited to before eating, after eating, using the bathroom, and after blowing their nose/sneezing/coughing. Through ongoing general education and health education lessons, students will be reminded of the proper ways to wash and sanitize their hands.
D. Cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation: Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. The District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction and is following the CDC, NJDOE, New Jersey Executive Orders, and NJ Department of Health guidance for cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, including improving ventilation. The District will continue to clean and disinfect all rooms in all schools on a regular basis. The District purchases disinfecting products and equipment, including sanitizing sprayers, dedicated microfiber cloths, and dedicated microfiber cloth washing machines. Custodians have been trained in the use of cleaning products utilized by the district and proper cleaning methods. The District will continue to purchase appropriate cleaning supplies & equipment, and conduct periodic audits of custodial cleaning practices. The District employs full-time, dedicated, and qualified Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) technicians to monitor and maintain building HVAC equipment. The District has (and will continue) to upgrade building HVAC control systems, purchase high-quality HVAC filters, and increase the frequency of HVAC filter changes. HVAC fresh air levels have been increased, and windows have been serviced to allow increased airflow for improved ventilation. The District participates in the NJDOH K-12 HEPA Unit and Filter Program, priority for the units is given to the health offices and classrooms with medically fragile students.
E. Contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, in collaboration with the State, local, territorial, or Tribal health departments : Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. The District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction and is following the CDC, NJDOE, New Jersey Executive Orders, and NJ Department of Health guidelines.F. Diagnostic and screening testing: Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. The District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction and following the CDC, NJDOE, New Jersey Executive Orders, NJ Department of Health guidelines.
G. Efforts to provide vaccinations to educators, other staff, and students, if eligible: Montgomery Township School District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction. The District partners with the Montgomery Township Health Department and local pharmacies when necessary. Upon request, the District may inform students, staff, and community about vaccination opportunities throughout the area, including direct links to the Montgomery Township Health Department’s website.
H. Appropriate accommodations for children with disabilities with respect to the health and safety policies: Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. The District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction and is following the CDC, NJDOE, New Jersey Executive Orders, and NJ Department of Health guidance for children with disabilities, in regard to their health and safety.
2. Ensuring Continuity of Services
A. Describe how the LEA will ensure continuity of services, including but not limited to services to address students’ academic needs and students’ and staff’s social, emotional, mental health, and other needs, which may include student health and food services. (1000 character limit): Montgomery Township School District is in alignment with guidance provided by the New Jersey Department of Health Recommendations for Local Health Departments for K-12 Schools. The District is committed to maintaining in-person instruction and is following the CDC, NJDOE, New Jersey Executive Orders, and NJ Department of Health guidance for ensuring the continuity of services.
Academic Needs Students, beginning in the Summer of 2021 and on an ongoing basis are provided individual and small group intervention opportunities. Student academic progress will be continually monitored through both state and local assessments. Data will be analyzed at regular intervals to determine when individual or curricular interventions are necessary.
Mental Health The district will continue to focus resources on the planning for, preparation of, and support of student mental health initiatives. Such supports include but are not limited to the use of a universal mental health screening tool for grades 5-12, educational materials for students and families, the development of after-school counseling services for students, and the provision of behavioral support services for students that may experience school avoidance or hesitancy.
Food Services Lunches are available to all students through the NSLP via the district’s food service vendor, Maschios.
3. Public Comment
A. Describe how the LEA sought public comment on its plan, and how it took those public comments into account in the development of its plan. Note, the ARP requires that LEAs seek public comment for each 60-day revision to the plan. (1000 character limit): Parents/Guardians were provided a link to a Google Form via Blackboard Connect communications system eBlast. The software translates the communication into the native language selected by the family. Instruction videos were included on how to translate the Google Form to various languages supported by Google Translate.
B. Describe how the LEA ensured that the plan is in an understandable and uniform format; is to the extent practicable written in a language that parents can understand or, if not practicable to provide written translations to a parent with limited English proficiency, will be orally translated for such a parent; and upon request by a parent who is an individual with a disability as defined by the ADA, will be provided in an alternative format accessible to that parent. (1000 character limit): The plan is housed in the district’s Blackboard-hosted website in plain text format allowing for the best language translation and assistive technology support. The website offers the ability to be translated into 108 languages. The webpage that the plan is housed on was run through an ADA compliance checking software to ensure support for E-Readers and other assistive devices.
