Elizabeth Forward preparing for updates to state COVID-19 school guidelines

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

Parents and guardians in the Elizabeth Forward School District will be receiving an update letter today from Superintendent Dr. Todd Keruskin, but it may not be the last update before school starts Aug. 26.
“We just learned the Department of Health will be coming out with new guidelines Friday,” Keruskin said.
As the situation stands, Keruskin said masks will still be optional in the schools.
“We will have to have masks on buses. It’s a federal mandate. It will be ending Sept. 12. We’re waiting for the legal opinion on that,” Keruskin said.
Keruskin said that if masks aren’t worn on school buses, the district could be fined by the Transportation Safety Administration per student, per day.
“We’re only a couple of days into the school year before we’ll know what the guidelines will be,” Keruskin said.
Keruskin said the district will continue to sanitize and wipe down classrooms; water fountains will remain off and stairwells will continue to be limited.
“We’ll be able to adapt and shift as necessary. We did take our Plexiglass down, but it’s still in the buildings and can be put back up if needed,” Keruskin said.
Keruskin said that over the last three months, there have been 47 reported cases of COVID-19 in Elizabeth Township, 11 cases in Forward Township and six or seven cases in Elizabeth Borough.