Coronavirus Latest: New Jersey Schools Scrambling To Make Changes, Have 'Graduates Recognized' With Schools Closed For Remainder Of Year
WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey's nearly 1.5 million students will finish the rest of the school year at home. South Jersey school districts must now begin making plans for students.
"All New Jersey school buildings will remain closed for in-person instruction for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year," Murphy said.
New Jersey school districts are scrambling to make changes after Murphy made the decision to continue remote learning for the remainder of the year.
"Our plan at this point, we want to make sure that we get to the end of the school year. Make sure we recognize students for outstanding academics over the year, have our graduates recognized," West Deptford Superintendent of Schools Greg Cappello said.
As the West Deptford School District works through the challenges of COVID-19, the superintendent says there is some concern surrounding the budget.
"We are getting ready to be conservative and try to preserve what we have," Cappello said.
Learning gaps have also been an area of concern.
Eyewitness News spoke with South Jersey students who have been learning from home.
"Me personally, I'm a hands-on student. I learn better when I have a teacher there to ask questions all the time. But I've adjusted, and luckily, I have really good teachers who are always available," Gloucester County Institute of Technology junior Lillian Inverso said.
Coronavirus Latest: What You Need To Know And Staying Connected
South Jersey teachers are also working through the challenges of remote learning.
"Adjusting to remote learning has been a little difficult with technical difficulties and communicating with students. But I would rather the students be home and safe and healthy rather than in school and being at risk," Hightstown High School teacher Emma Fenning said.
Gov. Murphy says New Jersey schools will reopen in the fall, with a plan to keep students and staff safe.
The West Deptford superintendent says they are forming a plan immediately where students can safely go into the schools on a schedule to clean out their desks and lockers, as well as to recollect Chromebooks and distribute yearbooks.
