While Livingston Public Schools opened to students on Tuesday, January 4, superintendent of schools Matthew Block called the staffing situation “tenuous” at the January 4 Board of Education meeting. He referred to transportation, food service, and instructional staff.“I’m hopeful that we can stay open,” he said, adding that faculty, “in the face of a significant shortage of staff, continue to take extra duties to keep the schools open.”He specifically cited the school nurses who are working “above and beyond their regular job after the break,” due to the return from the winter break and the increase in COVID cases.“Our school nurses literally worked from 6 a.m. yesterday [Monday, January 3] to 1 a.m. this morning contact tracing as much as possible and continued at that same pace today,” he said. “We have deployed a number of our office staff, administrators, directors and supervisors to assist them.”Block also noted that there have been hundreds of emails and phone calls.“It’s going to take some time to complete all the tracing. We really need everyone’s patience and cooperation,” he said.On December 30, the district notified the community, in a letter and video, about its decision to make Monday, January 3, a staff-only day to allow the district to gather information, provide time for students to get tested, and to begin contact tracing.Students returned in person on Tuesday, January 4The staff-only day would replace the professional development day that had been scheduled for February 1, which had been designed to provide time off for students to celebrate the Lunar New Year.“It was the only way we could have a staff-only day yesterday,” Block said. February 1 now needs to be a day of school because the district is required to offer 180 days of school.“We understand the disappointment,” Block said, “ but felt it was an emergency, a one-time occurrence.”All student absences on February 1 will be excused, and Block, who will recommend that it be a half day and a “no homework” day.Only 84 percent of students attended school in person on Tuesday, compared to 93 percent a month ago, Block said.While schools are the safest places for students, and the district intends to stay open for in-person learning as long as possible, Block said, “If we are unable to staff, all options are on the table.”After consulting with the state Department of Health and physicians, he said, “We’re told this is going ...
