COVID - 2022-23 School Year

Based on the most recent Governor’s Order, EO 302 and CDC guidance of August 11, 2022, TPS will implement the following procedures/protocols for the 2022-23 school year. The procedures below are subject to change if/when updated NJDOH guidance for NJ’s K-12 schools is received. 

Face Masks

• Mask wearing in/on school property and during school activities remains optional for staff and students, with the exception of school nurse offices.
  • Mask-wearing requirement in school nurse offices:  All staff/students must wear a mask prior to entering any school nurse’s office. 
  • Masks will be available at the entrance to each nurse’s office.

Absences Due to COVID

• Parents/Caregivers of students diagnosed with COVID will report the diagnosis to their respective school office when reporting the student’s absence. 
  • TBOE Attendance Policy and Regulation 5200 will apply (See Sections D and E of Regulation 5200) to all student absences, including COVID-related absences.
• Virtual instruction is no longer an option for any absentee student, including those affected by COVID.
  • TBOE Policy and Regulation 5200 will apply to all absences, including COVID-related absences.
  • See Section F of Regulation 5200 for details on instruction for absent students.   
• Staff members diagnosed with COVID will report the COVID diagnosis to their respective administrator/designee when reporting the reason for their absence. 
  • Staff absences, including those associated with a COVID diagnosis, will be deducted from their accumulated sick day bank.
  • These absences must be entered as a “sick” day into the Frontline system.

Returning After COVID   

• Staff and parents of students diagnosed with COVID should follow doctor’s orders and/or most updated health recommendations relevant to COVID. (Currently the standard COVID recovery time remains five days from symptom onset.) Staff and students are expected to be fully recovered and 24 hours fever-free before returning to work or school. Staff and parents/caregivers should refer to the August 11, 2022 Standard CDC recommendations Minimizing the Impact of COVID-19 on Individual Persons, Communities, and Health Care Systems.
  • • Schools and other institutions no longer need to screen asymptomatic students and/or employees.
    • The “six foot” standard for social distancing is no longer recommended.
    • Unvaccinated individuals no longer need to quarantine.

Testing

• Routine testing of unvaccinated staff members is no longer required.
• Executive Order 253 has sunset and unvaccinated staff are no longer required to submit to weekly testing.
• Additionally, the district is no longer offering on-site COVID testing.

COVID Notifications and the COVID Dashboard

• Class/School notifications of COVID cases and the COVID dashboard will cease.