MSD of New Durham Township board reviews state re-entry guidance, outlines health and scheduling options for fall

At a June 10 work session, the MSD of New Durham Township school board reviewed the State’s 38‑page Fall Re‑Entry Guidelines and discussed a range of health, scheduling and operational steps the district may take before students return this fall. Board President Karen Jedrysek called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m.; Superintendent Sandra Wood led the presentation and discussion.

Wood said the guidance centers on health protocol and personal protective equipment, daily health reports and screening of staff and students, and modified procedures for nurse/clinic spaces and individualized health plans. The district discussed several screening options — self, school‑based or observational — and noted return‑to‑school criteria described in the guidance: a return generally after 10 calendar days from symptom onset or sooner with doctor clearance.

The board considered practical clinic and hygiene measures. Among the measures discussed were using a separate room for symptomatic students and escorting them for pickup, staggered hand‑washing times, avoiding water‑fountain use, and limiting the exchange of items between home and school. Wood also described a recommended mandatory reporting system for documented cases and said that a positive case could prompt a brief 2–5 day building closure, disinfecting, and coordination with local health authorities for contact tracing.

On scheduling, the board reviewed several alternatives: a hybrid model with alternating days or times, year‑round schooling with alternating breaks, and expanded distance learning for secondary students. Wood said remote instruction would be offered based on student need or parental concern, and that cohorting (keeping the same group of students together), reorganizing large classes, eliminating assemblies and staggering recesses were among classroom options being considered to reduce contacts.

Food service and transportation protocols were also discussed. Proposed cafeteria measures included eliminating self‑serve stations, using disposable materials, and managing lines with floor markings. For buses, the district emphasized disinfecting prior to reopening and before and after routes, training drivers on cleaning and symptom recognition, assigning seats for contact tracing, and noted that a physical barrier between driver and students is not allowable under the discussed guidance.

The board reviewed plans for extra‑curricular activities under a three‑phase reopening beginning July 6, with summer activities voluntary, screening before participation, and mask use when participants are not engaged in rigorous activity. Wood said competitions with spectators could begin after Aug. 15 under the timeline discussed.

Funding and state guidance were a focus of the meeting. Wood said the district was awaiting updated Department of Education guidance on instructional minutes and Average Daily Membership (ADM) funding. She noted current instructional‑minute requirements of five hours for K–6 and six hours for grades 7–12, and described the current ADM funding rule cited in the presentation: if 50% or more instruction is virtual, districts would receive 85% of ADM funding (the presentation used an example of $6,106 per student at full funding reduced to $5,190 at 85%).

As next steps, Wood said the district would seek local health‑department approval for major decisions, meet with other superintendents and local officials within 10 days, collect final parent and staff survey results, form a Re‑Entry Committee to help develop the plan, and target a final Re‑Entry plan in July — which may require a special board meeting for approval. The board adjourned at 8:15 p.m. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July 8, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. in the Media Center.