At Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, school superintendent Matthew Block explained that, while the region is still in the red, high risk zone, “our numbers are improving.”Average staff absences have gone down from 172 a day the week of January 3, to 151 a day last week. As of Tuesday, the number was down to 97.“We were able to stay open with all the absences because everyone who was here was doing double or triple or quadruple time,” he said.Student attendance also improved. At the secondary schools, the absence rate decreased from 13.5 percent to nine percent to five percent. Similarly, the elementary absence rate went from 18.5 percent, to 10.5 percent, to 5.5 percent.“In some ways,” Block added, “we proved that the spread in schools is less than in the community around it.”He reiterated his thanks to the educational team for the “daunting” beginning to the year 2022.“Absolutely everyone worked to keep schools open,” he said, “despite their own personal challenges at home.”“The last month of this school year has represented the most difficult of the entire pandemic,” agreed Anthony Rosamilia, president of the Livingston Education Association. “My members are extremely tired and they are working extremely hard.”Rosamilia also thanked parents, who have expressed gratitude toward the staff, and the students “who have done the best they can in a hard situation.”Several parents asked the district to reexamine the five-day back-to-school rule for COVID-positive students with no symptoms. It was suggested that students be required to pass a rapid COVID test before returning in the interest of public safety.Another parent asked that the district’s dashboard be updated more frequently.Reported COVID CasesFor the week of January 3 through 7, the Livingston school district’s COVID-19 dashboard reported 138 positive cases of COVID, with 154 individuals in quarantine.The number of positive cases, while higher than in December, is significantly lower than the 469 positive cases reported for the week of January 3 through 7.The numbers include both students and staff members.Elementary building totals for the week were as follows: Burnet Hill, 14 positive, 10 quarantined; Collins School, 5 positive, 16 quarantined; Harrison School, 10 positive, 15 quarantined; Hillside School, 12 positive, 26 quarantined; Mt. Pleasant Elementary School, 5 positive, 8 quarantined; Riker Hill School, 6 positive, 10 quarantined.In the secondary schools, Mt. Pleasant Middle had 15 positive, 8 quarantined; Heritage Middle, 23 positive, 28 quarantined; and Livingston High School, 50 positive, 28 ...
