NJ letting schools start all-remote. These districts now plan to

The list of New Jersey pubic schools that will start the school year with all-remote learning continues to grow, with less than a month to go before classes begin.

Gov. Phil Murphy's announcement that schools could begin the new academic year  remotely opened the figurative doors for districts to shut their literal ones, prompting many to quickly change their plans for hybrid in-person and remote instruction. Murphy had previously said districts should offer some level of in-person instruction, and schools had been scrambling to send the state plans for approval.

Asbury Park public schools announced Monday night they'll stay remote for the first 30 instruction days to start.

“Our priority is to educate the children and we want to do that in a way that ensures their health and safety. With the governor’s provision for a full remote opening, this allows for that flexibility," school board president Angela Ahbez Anderson said in a statement on the district website. The board will reassess its plan at the end of September to determine if the district will then move to hybrid instruction.

Long Branch superintendent Michael Salvatore said his district came up with a "comprehensive plan" that utilized new technologies for student health scans. But since Murphy's announcement there was an increase in requests for remote learning and work leaves "skyrocketed," according to Salvatore.

"We now have more than 3,200 students and 275 staff members who feel it would be safer if children began the school year learning remotely. That's a significant change in the original data we presented nearly 10 days ago," Salvatore said.

TAP into South Plainfield reported a letter was sent to parents saying South Plainfield will begin the year virtually on Sept. 2, and continue that way through the first marking period.

The Flemington-Raritan Board of Education said it will likely vote on Tuesday night to approve a virtual start to the school year while  The Atlantic City Board of Education will take a similar vote at its meeting.

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