New Jersey Schools to Stay Closed for Rest of Academic Year

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) —
new jersey schools coronavirus
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy holding a coronavirus briefing last month. (Edwin J. Torres for Governor’s Office).

All 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. That will continue.

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

The state will be meeting 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.

The state is seeking $310 million in federal assistance, Murphy announced. At least $280 million would go to schools to cover the cost of buying educational technology, cleaning buildings and getting support services for students.

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.

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