South Jersey School Districts Making Plans For Students Now That Schools Will Remain Closed For Year

Kimberly Davis reports.

AND WORLDWIDE, THE NUMBER OFCOVID-19 CASES HAS SURPASSED THE3.5 MILLION MARK.NEW JERSEY'S NEARLY1.5 MILLION STUDENTS WILL FINISHTHE REST OF THE YEAR AT HOME.WHETHER SCHOOLS CAN REOPEN FORSUMMER SCHOOL OR FOR THE FALL ISSTILL UP IN THE AIR.KIMBERLY DAVIS LEARNED SOUTHYERSY DISTRICTS MUST NOW BEGINMAKING PLANS FOR STUDENTS.ALL NEW JERSEY SCHOOLBUILDINGS WILL REMAIN CLOSED FORIN-PERSON INSTRUCTION FOR THEREMAINDER OF THE 2019-2020SCHOOL YEAR.Reporter: NEW JERSEY SCHOOLDISTRICTS ARE SCRAMBLING TO MAKECHANGES AFTER GOVERNOR PHILMURPHY MADE THE DECISION TOCONTINUE REMOTE LEARNING FOR THEREMAINDER OF THE YEAR.OUR PLAN AT THIS POINT IS TOMAKE SURE WE GET TO THE END OFTHE SCHOOL YEAR.MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE STUDENTSFOR OUTSTANDING ACADEMICS OVERTHE YEARS.HAVE OUR GRADUATES RECOGNIZED.Reporter: AS THE WESTDEPTFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT WORKSTHROUGH THE CHALLENGES OFCOVID-19, THE SUPERINTENDENTTELLS US THERE IS SOME CONCERNSURROUNDING THE BUDGET.WE ARE GETTING READY TO BECONSERVATIVE AND TRY TO PRESERVEWHAT WE HAVE.Reporter: LEARNING GAPS HAVEALSO BEEN AN AREA OF CONCERN."EYEWITNESS NEWS" SPOKE WITHSOUTH JERSEY STUDENTS WHO HADBEEN LEARNING FROM HOME.ME PERSONALLY I'M A HANDS-ONSTUDENT.I LEARN BETTER WHEN I HAVE ATEACHER THERE TO ASK QUESTIONSALL THE TIME.BUT I'VE ADJUSTED.AND LUCKILY I HAVE REALLY GOODTEACHERS WHO ARE ALWAYSAVAILABLE.Reporter: SOUTH JERSEYTEACHERS ARE ALSO WORKINGTHROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF REMOTELEARNING.ADJUSTING TO REMOTE LEARNINGHAS BEEN A LITTLE DIFFICULT WITHTECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES ANDCOMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS BUTI WOULD RATHER THE STUDENT BEHOME AND SAFE AND HEALTHY RATHERTHAN IN SCHOOL AND BEING ATRISK.GOVERNOR MURPHY SAYS NEWJERSEY SCHOOLS WILL REOPEN INTHE FALL WITH A PLAN TO KEEPSTUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE.Reporter: THE WEST DEPTFORDSUPTD OF SCHOOLS SAYS THEY AREFORMING A PLAN WHERE STUDENTSCAN CLEAN OUT THEIR LOCKERS ASWELL AS THEIR DESKS WHERE