Cranford School Year Will End Five Days Early

CRANFORD, NJ — Cranford Superintendent of Schools Scott Rubin said Monday afternoon that in response to Gov. Phil Murphy announcing that he was closing schools through the end of the academic year, the district would remove three school days from the academic calendar, holding the last day on June 18.

The district will continue its Emergency Education Plan (home instruction/distance learning) amid the spread of coronavirus.

In a press conference on Monday, Gov. Murphy said he would not ask school districts to reopen. Previously, he'd said that if they did, kids might have to wear a mask around school for safety reasons.

The earlier closing in Cranford is partly because the calendar had included a day off for the election primary on June 2, but that has been moved to July.

The schools in Cranford have been closed since Monday, March 16.

Rubin issued a letter on Monday explaining:

<blockquote>

Dear Parents/Guardians and community members,

I hope this correspondence finds you, your family members, and friends feeling well.

This afternoon, Governor Murphy announced that schools will remain physically closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Therefore, the current Emergency Education Plan (Home Instructional /Distance Learning) will remain in place.

We recently conducted a survey of the current plan and the feedback, which we will release publicly this week, was overwhelmingly positive. Therefore, with the exception of minor modifications, the community should expect the current plan to be in place for the remainder of the year.

In light of the governor’s order, please be advised that by reclaiming three school days, the District calendar will be changed so that the last day of school will now be Thursday, June 18, instead of Tuesday, June 23.

The District was scheduled to be closed for the Primary Election Day on June 2. Since the school buildings will be closed that day, June 2 will now count as a school day through the Distance Learning Plan. Additionally, the District has 2 remaining unused emergency school closing days which will now be used at the end of the year, making Thursday, June 18, the last day of school.

In anticipation of the governor’s announcement today, principals had already been working with their respective student bodies, parents/guardians, and faculty to develop alternative ways to provide memorable and well-deserved celebrations that honor and recognize students in the best possible way given the circumstances.

More information about these end of year events, including high school graduation, will be provided in the near future.

Again, I cannot thank you enough for your flexibility, patience, and collaboration as we work through this evolving situation together.

Let’s continue to take care of ourselves and each other!

</blockquote>

Click here to read the Patch Article: New Jersey Schools Closed For Rest Of Academic Year: Gov. Murphy

Later Monday evening, the mayor's office addressed the possibility of swimming pools opening for the summer. The nightly update said, "The township is awaiting direction from the state regarding opening the three Cranford public pools (1 indoor, 2 outdoor) and guidance about managing social distancing, hygiene and numerous protocols to keep residents and staff safe. The Township Committee did authorize the Swim Pool Utility to drain and powerwash the pools as a health and safety measure and to be prepared if the pools will open."

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