Impact Of Gov Orders On Chatham Schools Is Unclear

CHATHAM, NJ—As the start of the school year looms, Governor Phil Murphy said on Wednesday that districts can opt for all-remote instruction this fall, a reversal of his previous position that all schools had to offer some in-person classes. Murphy also said that in-person school can resume immediately—with a catch.

"In-person instruction may fully resume immediately should institutions so desire and so long as social distancing among other protections are strictly adhered to," he said.

Districts that cannot meet New Jersey's core standards for in-person school will begin the year with all-remote instruction, the governor said. The state requirements include social distancing, masks, proper ventilation, and other precautions.

Murphy made today's announcement as some school districts, including Elizabeth, defied his previous order and announced remote-only instruction this fall. The state's teacher's union yesterday called for Murphy to mandate remote-only schooling.

"The question of whether and when to reopen for in-person instruction is first and foremost a public health decision that cannot be left in the hands of nearly 600 individual school districts," said a statement by the New Jersey Education Association. "The stakes are too high, and the consequences of a wrong decision are too grave."

The School District of the Chathams presented its back-to-school plan, a hybrid of online and in-person classes, last month. The district included a "Plan C" to its possible return scenarios, which would mean distributing Chromebooks to all students, rearranging schedules, and other measures to provide 100 percent remote instruction.