Morris Students Head Back To School

MORRISTOWN, NJ—Thousands of Morris School District students donned backpacks and masks to open the 2020-2021 school year on Tuesday with a mix of apprehension and hope.

Those that attended in person had to start getting accustomed to the rigid safety protocols put in place by the district, including masks, social distancing, hand sanitizer, and constant deep cleaning of the buildings.

Morris superintendent Mackey Pendergrast said during a town hall before the year began that temperature checks would not be used. Instead, parents must certify their child is fever-free via an app.

"We don't have that capacity," Pendergrast said at the town hall, "we don't have the funds or the ability."

The Morris School District's reopening plan involves 5 days of 4-hour instruction for elementary students and a 50/50 hybrid model for middle and high school students. About 20 percent of the district's 5,000 students elected to attend all-remote school.