Local school districts use snow day to choose either remote or in-person learning
CAMDEN COUNTY, N.J. - Many area school districts canceled school Monday for winter weather, but some used the time to determine whether to move forward with in-person or remote learning.
"There’s no easy decision here and there’s no complete right decision," stated Superintendent of Woodbury City Public Schools, Andrew Bell.
Superintendent Bell said their decision came as recent as Sunday morning. Originally, students were to report for a half-day of in-person learning without lunch, to keep kids masked. The decision was made to switch to remote learning until January 10th.
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Bell said they made Monday a professional development day for staff, that had been planned for later in February, to give them a day to prepare.
"Our main reason for going remote was staffing and we have a high amount of staff members who have confirmed cases of COVID," Bell explained. "The availability of testing is so limited, we think that number is actually higher than what it is."
The Central Bucks School District also closed school on Monday for that reason, not just because of a winter storm warning.
They said the "unprecedented need for substitute teachers exceeds the number available."
The district was in the center of the mask debate and ruled last year that masks are optional.
Other districts, including Pennsauken Public Schools, made plans for remote learning for the week after break, well before break ended.
"This was just a precautionary measure and it’s working because what we’re seeing is more teachers are testing positive and more students are testing positive, we’re getting phone calls and updates every single day," Dr. Ronnie Tarchichi, Superintendent, Pennsauken Public Schools, explained.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said on Monday, the number of outbreaks directly traced to in-school activities have remained below where they would have anticipated, but districts can make individual decisions.
"Let me be clear, we currently have no intention or plan to start our schools," Gov. Murphy relayed.
District leaders tell FOX 29 they plan to be back in the buildings next week.
"We have every intention of going back full in-person learning," Dr. Tarchichi added.
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