Water Main Break At Raritan HS Marks Virtual Day For Students

HAZLET, NJ - All Raritan High School students will be following a virtual schedule on Jan. 26 following a water main break at the Hazlet building, according to an announcement from the district website.

The alert, which was issued around 9:15 p.m. on Monday, announced that the scheduled PSAT exams are cancelled and all students will be required to sign in to their classes. Cohort 1 students are slated to return to live instruction on Jan. 27 to a regular half-day schedule.

It was not immediately clear what caused the main break, although temperatures hovered below freezing Monday night into Tuesday morning.

On Monday, Monmouth County authorities extended a "code blue" alert until Jan. 31, citing a National Weather Service forecast that predicts temperatures teens in the next few days.

Parents with questions or concerns are directed to reach out to Raritan High School Principal Dr. Andrew Piotrowski.

The announcement comes as the district reports an additional nine COVID-19 cases since Jan. 22. Here is the school-by-school breakdown:

• Raritan High School reported one (1) new case on Jan. 22.
• Raritan High School reported one (1) new case on Jan. 24.
• Hazlet Middle School has reported one (1) new case on Jan. 22.
• Cove Road School reported one (1) new case on Jan. 22.
• Beers Street School reported two (2) new cases on Jan. 22 and Jan. 23.
• Raritan Valley School reported one (1) new case on Jan. 25.
• Sycamore Drive Early Childhood Learning Center has reported two (2) new cases on Jan. 25.

Beers Street School transitioned to a full-remote schedule Monday after a reported COVID-19 case increase at the school in the last two weeks, according to a Jan. 24 statement on the school district’s website.

"Presently a significant number of staff and students are already quarantined and we must be mindful of others who may have been exposed to one of those individuals but has yet to develop symptoms," the district wrote. "Additionally, securing appropriate coverage for all homerooms has become problematic given the number of staff already quarantining. Our District nurses support this decision. Our commitment to health and safety will continue." Read more: Beers Street School Goes Remote Following String Of COVID Cases