Hopatcong Schools Could Close Until Monday

Update 4:39 p.m. Hopatcong schools Thursday due to power outages.

*

Power outages at two of Hopatcong's five schools could force the district to close until Monday, Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranzano said Wednesday afternoon.

Hopatcong schools have been closed since Monday—just hours after a snowstorm clobbered the borough, leaving thousands without electricity while snapping trees, downing power lines and damaging property. Maranzano said and are without electricity, half of lacks power, and Jersey Central Power & Light—the district's electricity provider—hasn't offered the schools much help.

Maranzano said opening the district before each school was ready would be dicey.

"You don't want to make a careless decision," he said. "The reality is, we can't get children to the schools safely, we can't house them in the schools safely."

"I recognize the difficulties that three days without school has caused and the implications, however, it's a day-by-day decision whether or not we open. And as we sit here today, it doesn't look likely we'll have school tomorrow. And school on Friday is questionable."

Director of Grounds Neil Piro and Maranzano said JCP&L, which estimates 770 Hopatcong residents are still without power, won't offer the district special assistance.

"We're waiting in line just like everybody else," Piro said.

Said Maranzano: "The initial response we're getting is that they've got a plan to bring [electricity] back, and they're not varying from that plan."

Maranzano said the district is facing a complex web of problems.

A lack of electricity has caused $6,000 to $10,000 of food to spoil; downed trees could force altered bus routes; schools will have to make sure its technology infrastructure—phones, Internet, other systems—is on the same page, Maranzano said.

"We have got to be absolutely certain that all of the components of the facilities are complete," he said. "Just the ability to flush toilets and serve lunch …This is a complex issue, and therefor we will not be opening schools until every component in our infrastructure ensures us that we're making the right decision."

The missed school days could affect Hopatcong's calendar, however.

Maranzano said the district doesn't build snow days into its schedule; instead, they're added to the end of the year. And though he said he'd rather not adjust vacations like winter and spring break due, which he said could disrupt plans of families and staff, he said he's considering all options.

"Were going to study it and monitor it and look at the impact the snow days will have at the end of the year," Maranzano said.

He added: "I don't shrug at my leadership responsibilities. I embrace them. The buck stops here. And, definitely, people have suggested a lot of things. And this superintendent is going to look at the totality of the circumstances before making final decisions."