Schools And Coronavirus In The Caldwells: UPDATES

CALDWELLS, NJ — As the new coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreads in New Jersey, schools in the Caldwells continue to take steps to protect students, staff and the community at large.

Public schools in Caldwell-West Caldwell, North Caldwell and the West Essex Regional School District previously announced they were closing due to the coronavirus. This week, some school officials offered updates.

READ MORE: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

CALDWELL UNIVERSITY

Effective Monday, March 23, all Caldwell University classes will be taught remotely through Monday, April 13 or until Gov. Phil Murphy rescinds his recent executive order, school administrators said. (Read the university’s full statement)

“The residence halls remain open at this time to students who are unable to travel home or who have an extenuating personal hardship,” Caldwell University administrators said.

• See related article: NJ Coronavirus: Schools Will Close Statewide, 80 New Cases

CALDWELL-WEST CALDWELL

The Caldwell-West Caldwell Public School District will be extending its school closure an additional week, officials announced Monday.

All Caldwell - West Caldwell Schools will now be closed to students through Friday, March 27. The district will continue to enact its Remote Learning Plan through at least next week, and will provide updates as soon as possible regarding long-term prospects, officials said.

NORTH CALDWELL

Starting Monday, all schools in the North Caldwell Public School District will be closed for 10 school days, officials announced earlier this week.

“During this time, we will be monitoring the events of COVID-19 with the local Board of Health in determining the need to continue with the closure,” school officials said.

"We understand that this closure will cause great inconvenience, but evidence has been mounting that social distancing is the most successful containment strategy," school officials previously said. "Closing schools is one of the most effective measures a community can do to slow contagion. However, the effectiveness of school closures is based on the premise that children stay home with their families and limit other contacts to the extent possible."

See more details about the district’s response to the coronavirus threat here.

WEST ESSEX REGIONAL

The West Essex Regional School District previously announced it will be closing on Monday, March 16 to Friday, March 27 in response to the coronavirus. The closure includes the postponement of all extracurricular activities, athletics and field trips, officials said. (Read their full statement)

While closed, school campuses will be off-limits to visitors, officials said.

"West Essex is well-equipped for distance learning, and we are confident in our ability to provide continued instruction aligned to curriculum standards," administrators said. "We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we navigate through these unprecedented times."

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