East Brunswick Tech will assume an all-remote schedule until later this month after a student who had been on campus for in-person instruction tested positive for the coronavirus.

A parent of the student – a freshman who attended classes on Friday – informed the school Wednesday the child tested positive for COVID-19, according to a message Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools’ Superintendent Dianne Veilleux posted on East Brunswick Tech’s website.

Also on Wednesday, superintendents from the School District of the Chathams and Little Silver Public Schools announced in separate letters to parents that one student, respectively, from Chatham High School and Markham Place School has tested positive for the coronavirus.

Tap into Chatham reported that Chatham High School will shift to all-remote instruction through at least the end of this week, while NJ.com reported that a cohort of Markham Place School sixth graders should study remotely until further notice.

The National Education Association has taken over a nationwide COVID-19 school and campus reporting site that a school teacher from Kansas initially created to track coronavirus-related school closings, cases and deaths. 

As of late Wednesday night, the NEA website has yet to add the COVID-19 cases from Chatham High School, Markham Place School and East Brunswick Tech to its database.

Citing New Jersey Department of Health guidelines, Veilleux said the state allows a school to remain open with a single confirmed COVID-19 case, with a requirement that students and staff who came in close contact with the positive individual be quarantined for 14 days.

“In this case,” Veilleux wrote about East Brunswick Tech, “circumstances have made it challenging to trace all those in our school community who came in close contact with this one confirmed case. 

“Therefore, in order to respect the state guidelines and maintain our safe school environment, the East Brunswick Campus will go to a fully remote model (until Sept. 21). All faculty and office staff will work from home for the duration.”

The announcement at East Brunswick Tech came on the same day East Brunswick Public Schools, which is also following a hybrid plan, announced a quarantine of several students across the district due to “close contacts” with someone off campus who tested positive for the coronavirus. 

It is unclear if the “close contacts” of East Brunswick Public Schools’ students and the COVID-19 positive test of the East Brunswick Tech student are related.

East Brunswick Tech commenced the school year last week with remote learning for academic courses such as English, history and math, and in-person instruction for career and technical education, as well as physical education.

Veilleux said East Brunswick Tech will maintain a fully virtual schedule until Sept. 21, at which time hybrid instruction will resume with staff reporting to school.

“These are challenging times for our community but we will rise to the challenge,” Veilleux wrote. “The important work of Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools will continue despite temporary setbacks.

“I have every confidence that learning and good effective instruction will continue as we navigate this ever-challenging landscape together.”

With campuses in Edison, Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, Piscataway and East Brunswick, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools offers 34 career majors including subjects such as advanced manufacturing, engineering, building services, health careers, graphic arts, automotive technology, cosmetology, baking and culinary arts, dance, music and theater.

Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools are observing all of the state’s mandated safety protocols, with both students and staff required to wear face coverings while in school buildings.

According to the district’s website, outdoor settings will be used as much as possible for physical education classes and lunches.

Students entering school buildings are required to undergo a temperature check. Students are encouraged to wash hands frequently and all equipment is sanitized between uses.

Parents are required to conduct daily health screenings of their children and report the status of their children online. 

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