High Point reopens with new safety plan

The High Point Regional High School Board of Education on Aug. 31 unanimously passed the school’s comprehensive Return to School plan.

The district welcomed back its teachers and staff for their first day on Sept. 1 and 2, and all students returned to school on Friday, Sept. 3.

The director of curriculum and Instruction, Seamus Campbell, said this was High Point’s fifth comprehensive return to school plan in the past 18 months.

“This was an effort that the administration and other staff members worked on daily throughout the past month,” Campbell said.

The plan calls for students, staff, and visitors to wear masks in the school building throughout the 2021-22 school year in accordance with Gov. Phil Murphy’s recent executive order. Masks will not need to be worn outside, and they may be removed to eat and drink.

Masks also will be required on school busses. Students and staff are prohibited from eating or drinking while on the bus.

Further guidance will be provided as needed.

With the school opened at full capacity, it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distance between students. Where practical, students will be seated in classrooms at a distance of three or more feet from one another.

If High Point is required to employ more stringent distancing details, it will revert to a modified cohort schedule.

High Point will also resume the use of its rotating drop-block schedule for 2021-22. The only adjustment will be keeping Wednesday as the only “all periods meet” day.

There is no plan to switch to a remote learning schedule. However, the school is prepared to implement one should circumstances require it. Should that happen, the district would use the “fully remote” schedule it used on several occasions last year.

In class, group instruction will be closely monitored.

Students who are required to quarantine will join the class each period through Google Meets.

All students will be provided with a Chromebook computer, and those with problems connecting at home will be eligible to use a district-issued Wi-Fi embedded device.

Murphy’s executive order, issued on Aug. 23, requires all school personnel to be fully vaccinated or tested for Covid-19 at least once per week.