Mahwah Public Schools Will Go Remote Before End Of 2020

MAHWAH, NJ — Mahwah Public Schools will close their doors for in-person learning later this month, the district said in a recent letter.

The transition to remote learning at all district schools will begin Monday, Dec. 21 and stretch well into January, with in-person learning slated to resume Jan. 19, the Tuesday after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"We do not approach this task lightly," began a letter announcing the decision from the Mahwah Administrative Team.

"The 65 days that we have been able to provide on-site instruction is a gift. This gift is rooted in our experiences that the brick-and-mortar experience is the best way to provide our students with the highest level of instruction."

Mahwah schools officials hinted at a potential shift to remote learning in early November, but decided to continue their hybrid learning model after Thanksgiving break, albeit with new protocols hoping to offset a rise in cases across the state.

READ MORE: Mahwah Schools Stay Open, With New Guidelines, Post-Thansgiving

The district was hopeful those measures would allow hybrid learning to continue, but the time has come to accept that in-person learning must be put on pause, they said.

The decision comes largely for two reasons.

First, "this break away from school will allow for the opportunity for staff and families to enter our holiday recess free from potential exposure and return in January in the same manner," the district said.

Additionally, the district has seen a rise in students and staff being deemed close contacts, facing exposure to the coronavirus or waiting on test results for themselves or family members, since Thanksgiving break.

The decision comes after ongoing discussions, and support from the Executive Committee of the Board of Education, Mahwah Board of Health, the district's Health Awareness Regional Program representative, and the district physician, they said.

"We have the opportunity to take a proactive response for the health and safety of our staff and students going into the holiday break and upon return from that break," the district said.

Read the full district letter here.

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