COVID-19: Gov. Says School Districts Can Employ All-Remote Education in September

Published on August 01, 2020

Only if Districts Cannot Meet Health Standards

Gov. Phil Murphy today announced a new Executive Order allowing public and nonpublic pre-K through grade 12 schools and colleges and universities to immediately reopen for in-person classes for the upcoming academic year.(PNG, 54KB)

However, the Governor also announced that school districts that cannot meet all health and safety standards for safe in-person instruction will begin their school year with ALL-REMOTE LEARNING.

To do so, school districts must show:

• Anticipated date to resume in-person instruction

"When our schools open in September, they must be ready to safely provide the high-quality education to all students that is a hallmark of New Jersey,'' Governor Murphy said in his daily public briefing.

"We know the first day of school is not going to be like any other in our history. We're fully committed to getting this right. Our focus on protecting students, families, and educators has not changed. Our commitment to meeting the conditions on the ground with flexibility has not changed.''

The Governor said that the New Jersey Department of Education has developed strong guidelines for school reopening that put a premium on the health & safety of students and staff while providing avenues by which in-person instruction can safely resume.

Public and nonpublic schools, he said, must certify to the DOE that they are able to meet these standards.

The Governor reiterated his position that "no one size fits all plan'' can work in New Jersey and that school districts and educational institutions have differences that will require varying solutions for the coming school year.