With several communities in Middlesex County now having their power restored, schools are beginning to reopen after missing over a week of classes in some cases.
Officials are in the midst of figuring out how to make up the lost time to fulfill the 180 days mandated by state law.
However, Barbara Morgan, spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Education, told Greater Media Newspapers that districts are unlikely to receive relief from the law.
“Gov. Chris Christie and Commissioner of Education Chris Cerf have both stated in several press conferences that it is not our intent to waive this rule,” Morgan wrote in an email. “At this time our primary concern remains getting all of our schools back online and we can then examine any additional issues that may subsequently arise.”
The Metuchen School District is in session for the full week, Nov. 5-9. Metuchen Superintendent of Schools Vincent Caputo said that Nov. 6 was originally scheduled as a teacher in-service day and Nov. 8-9 were days off due to the New Jersey Education Association Convention. Since the convention was cancelled, the district reclaimed Nov. 8-9 as school days.
Edison Schools Superintendent Richard O’Malley said school was in session for all 17 schools on Nov. 5 and 6 except for James Madison Intermediate and FDR Preschool, which still had no power or heat. As of Nov. 5, seven schools had problems with the phone lines. The Board of Education held a special meeting Nov. 5 to amend the school calendar, approving Nov. 8 and 9 as full days of school for all students.
O’Malley said on Nov. 5, seven percent of staff and students absent, while the average percentage is three percent. He said some of the staff live in the harder-hit areas and have lost their homes.
The North Brunswick School District was set to reopen on Nov. 7. Due to the nor’easter, each school was dismissing students according to the early closing schedule. Nov. 8 and 9 are regular school days.
The Woodbridge Township School District is closed for fall recess this week, Nov. 5-9. Classes will resume Nov. 12.
In Monroe, where half of district schools remained without power as of Nov. 6, Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Hamilton wrote on the district website that schools would reopen for half-days Wednesday, Nov. 7, through Friday, Nov. 9.
The half-day openings are because officials “are not certain when food deliveries will arrive”; thus food will not be provided.
Full sessions will resume Monday, Nov. 12. The schools will also be open Tuesday, Nov. 13.
Spotswood Board of Education President Donna Faulkenberry said the district fared remarkably well despite the storm.
“We were very fortunate not to experience any damage to our schools or district office,” Faulkenberry said. “There were a few downed trees and one set of our bleachers were actually moved midfield, but that was about it.”
All schools within the district have had their power restored, but schools will remain closed until Monday, Nov. 12.
“Our school calendar already had this week scheduled off. We did not consider taking back Thursday and Friday because the calendar was communicated to our parents at the beginning of the year and many made vacation plans based on it,” she said. “We didn’t feel it was fair to take back days on such short notice.”
She noted the district has not yet decided how and when the lost days will be made up, but said the decision will be made “very soon” and communicated to parents and staff “as soon as possible.”
Similarly, Old Bridge schools will reopen Monday, Nov. 12, as the district will maintain its previously scheduled fall break.
Lori Luicci, public relations coordinator for the Old Bridge Board of Education, said the district only lost five days of school and said the schools likely suffered little to no damage, as evidenced by a majority of schools still serving as polling locations on Election Day.
Luicci further stated that how or when the district will make up the days has not been determined, though she noted that snow days are built into the district calendar.
In Jamesburg, Superintendent Gail Verona said the district’s school buildings and other facilities also experienced little damage during the storm.
One minor exception included the roof at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, where a hole was created due to the impact of strong winds hitting a rooftop air-conditioning unit. She described the roof damage as minimal.
In addition, a pipe broke in front of the school, but it was repaired promptly, she said.
Jamesburg schools remained closed through Tuesday, Nov. 6, as the Grace M. Breckwedel Middle School was without power. The district’s website said that the borough’s two schools would reopen for a half day Wednesday, Nov. 7, and half-day sessions would be held for the rest of the week as well.
“We’re all very anxious to get the kids back to school and to normalcy,” she said.
She lauded personnel from Pomptonian Food Service, who worked in the schools despite electricity issues.
“We had a lot of the food spoiled and we had the ladies from Pomptonian, who I have to say did an extraordinary job in organizing and inventorying and cleaning up,” she said.
She noted the district typically adds on days when closures necessitate makeup days, but emphasized the decision hadn’t been formally made.
“Obviously we’re behind; we have three snow days built in. Obviously we’ve used those,” she said, adding that they would gain two days by classes being in session Nov. 8 and 9, which were previously scheduled as days off due to the New Jersey Education Association’s annual convention, which was canceled.
School officials in South River and Milltown could not be reached at press time, but according to the Milltown district website, schools were scheduled to reopen starting Wednesday, Nov. 7. Early dismissal was scheduled for Nov. 7-9 with no lunch provided. Parents were advised to send children to school with bottled water and a snack.
According to a statement released by East Brunswick school officials, schools were scheduled to reopen Nov. 8 and 9, days that were originally scheduled off due to the NJEA convention.