N.J. schools will reopen this year with masks and other safety measures in place

After months of remote learning, New Jersey students will return to classrooms at least part-time this fall, state officials said Friday. But the schools they return to will be transformed, with students urged to wear masks and stay six feet apart from their peers, according to long-awaited state guidelines released Friday.

The 104-page guidelines set some minimum safety standards for reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic, such as screening students and employees for virus symptoms, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, and requiring teachers and "strongly" encouraging students to wear face coverings. They also suggest other steps schools might take to reduce the risk of infections, including keeping students in small groups, serving meals in classrooms, staggering recess times, and spacing students apart on buses.

But the guidance, which district leaders have been clamoring for as they tentatively plan for the fall, gives the state's more than 600 districts flexibility in how they meet the safety requirements.

https://newark.chalkbeat.org/2020/6/26/21304187/new-jersey-schools-reopening-guidelines