Chatham Schools Delay Start Monday For Coronavirus Prep

CHATHAM, NJ - All Chatham schools will have a two-hour delayed opening for students on Monday and AM pre-K and AM K sessions are cancelled so the district can prepare for the encroachment of the novel coronavirus, according to School District of the Chathams Superintendent Michael LaSusa.

"The reason for this delayed opening for students is to enable our staff to have additional, dedicated time to collaborate to curate instructional resources in the event the district must close due to the spread of Covid-19," LaSusa said.

On Thursday evening, the Department of Education issued guidance to all school districts outlining the process that will be used to provide online instruction to students in the event of a closure. LaSusa noted that the decision to close due to a health-related event is made by the Department of Health.

"I have been in contact with our two local Departments of Health since Thursday, and they are closely monitoring the latest developments and coordinating with the state and our municipalities," he said.

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This delayed opening will not change the school calendar for the rest of this week; the early dismissal scheduled for this coming Friday will remain in place, LaSusa said.

"I recognize that any abbreviated school day causes inconvenience to families. However, having this time will enable us to continue to prepare for a possible closure," he said. "I would rather overplan now than be under-planned should conditions change quickly."

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