coronavirus new jersey

Coronavirus News: NJ schools to stay closed for academic year

Monday, May 4, 2020

NJ schools to stay closed for academic year

Darla Miles reports New Jersey schools will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year due to the coronavirus outbreak.

TRENTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- New Jersey schools will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year due to the coronavirus outbreak, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

Teachers have been required to conduct remote instruction since schools shuttered in mid-March.

"This is a difficult decision and I know that many students, parents, and staff would like to be able to return to school,"said Governor Murphy. "However, I have been unwavering on the message that we need to make decisions based on science, not emotion. And while New Jersey is making great strides in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, science tells us that at this point, we can't safely re-open our schools."

Private schools with later academic years are closed until at least June 30, Murphy said.

State officials will meet with parents and other stakeholders to consider summer courses, as well as to discuss the 2020-2021 school year, he added.

"There's a lot to consider about how the school year may differ once our students and faculty return," he said during Monday's news conference.

Murphy added that the state is leaning against resumption of spring sports based on guidance from the NJSIAA.

The NJSIAA Medical Board concluded that due to a lack of testing, viable treatments, and a vaccine, that spring sports were not a viable option.

New Jersey is among the hardest-hit states in the country with 7,871 COVID-19 fatalities and more than 120,000 positive cases.

New Jersey has some 600 school districts and about 1.4 million students enrolled, according to the state Education Department.