Middletown Schools will delay the return to five-day in-person classes and keep students on a hybrid schedule due to the number of positive coronavirus tests and quarantines in the district, according to the Journal-News.
The district, which began the school year with all-remote learning, planned to phase in its return with students in classrooms on some days and home some days from Oct. 19-Nov. 6 and then a full return on Nov. 9.
That full return to classes in school five days per week has been delayed until at least January, when the school board will consider the issue again.
As the district has done since Oct. 19, students with last names starting with letters A-L will be in schools on Mondays and Tuesdays, and those with M-Z will be in schools on Thursdays and Fridays. All students will be remote on Wednesdays.
The district reported 11 positive coronavirus tests for staff and students and 158 quarantines last week. That has caused a shortage in staff and substitute teachers, the district said.
“I have said this repeatedly: ‘We want our students back.’ We can make it happen if we do our part to stop the spread by masking up, following social distance protocols, and washing our hands,” Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr. said.
