West Milford announces latest update for Oct. 1 ‘Return to School Plan’

The West Milford Township Public School District has been planning to implement its “Hybrid Learning Model Return to School Plan” for combination, in-person/remote instruction beginning Thursday, Oct. 1. The newest update for the plan was announced on Sept. 16th.

The plan

As previously presented to the school community, students will be divided into “Cohort” groups: Group A, Group B, a 100 percent Remote Learning Group, and another group comprised of select students enrolled in various special education or specific reading programs who are eligible to attend both A and B in-person school days (a Five Day Group for which parents will be notified of student eligibility by their School Principal or the Department of Special Services).

The change

Groups A and B will still attend school in-person and remotely as scheduled on their designated weekdays, with the A and B groups alternating Wednesdays each week between in-person and remote learning. The 100 percent Remote Learning Group will continue virtual instruction from home.

But instead of working with an early-dismissal schedule for in-person days with remote learning in the afternoon, all students will continue with a full-day schedule - as they have been following remotely since Sept. 3 - for four of the weekdays (two in-person full days and two remote learning full days) with Wednesdays being the only exception. On Wednesdays, all groups will follow an early dismissal schedule.

Switch previously made choices by Sept. 18

Whether parents previously chose to send their student(s) to school in the District’s Hybrid Program as of October 1st (as they were originally scheduled by the district), or if they requested the 100% Distance Learning Option, that choice will be in effect for a six week period before a change may be made again. The first six-week cycle will begin on October 1st and run until November 13th.

If parents who had previously requested the 100 percent Distance Learning Option would instead now like their student(s) to return to in-person instruction (Hybrid Program) beginning as of October 1st, email Karen Johnson- Supervisor of Guidance at karen.johnson@wmtps.org by Friday, Sept. 18.

Families that had already registered to begin the school year in the hybrid A/B program do not need to do anything further, and are already scheduled to attend the program beginning on Oct 1.

Alternately, parents who planned for their student(s) to return to school as scheduled via the Hybrid Program, but would now like to request the 100% Distance Learning Option instead (but have not done so already) also must notify Johnson by Friday, Sept. 18th.

“This information,” High School Principal Matthew Strianse said. “will enable us to ensure that classes remain balanced in order to provide social distancing.”

Near the end of the six-week cycle, parents will once again have the option to request a change (Hybrid Program or 100 percent Distance Learning) for the next six-week time period.

BOE meets this Tuesday

The West Milford Board of Education will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at Westbrook School. This is the final scheduled school board meeting that will be held prior to the Oct. 1 school re-opening target date.

The district’s complete, 21-page, updated hybrid “Return to School” plan is available on the district’s website at www.wmtps.org