UPDATE: Summit Schools Closed Thursday, Start Remote Friday

SUMMIT, NJ — The Summit schools are officially closed Thursday, as a nor-easter is expected to dump a foot of snow starting at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Instruction and all school activities are canceled.

The schools also had an early dismissal on Wednesday, with after-school activities canceled.

After that, remote education begins Friday and runs through mid-January.

In the future, the Summit schools will be using traditional Snow Days when inclement weather necessitates, a district spokesperson said Tuesday, but if there are too many emergency days that affect the calendar, they'll go remote.

"Summit will be utilizing the built- in emergency days and closing school for inclement weather," the spokesperson explained. "We will exercise the remote option if it is a severe winter so we don't have to change the school calendar. Superintendent [Scott] Hough will be using his discretion and will take into account the severity of the winter season."

After the storm, the Summit schools will go remote starting Friday and continue that way until mid-January as a coronavirus precaution.

But the district will have to first contend with a snowstorm Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning. The forecast as of Tuesday for the Garden State was for more than a foot of snow.

See the Accuweather forecast specifically for Summit here.

Two superintendents in New Jersey said Monday that they feel that kids deserve the magic of a traditional Snow Day off after a tough year:

• Mahwah's superintendent said the days are for "memory making" and not remote learning.
• In Cinnaminson, the superintendent said, "Far too many chances for them to play and 'just be a kid' have been taken from them over the last nine months. It will be nice to see them enjoy one of the true gifts of childhood."

Patch will post an official announcement when one is received. Keep up with Summit Patch school and weather news. Click here to sign up for free Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.

Teachers' union wants remote learning earlier

In related school news, TAPInto reported Tuesday that the teachers' union said they are at the "breaking point" and that even with schools going remote on Friday, they are advocating for the district to go remote immediately. Read more here.

The union had also publicly expressed reservations several times before the year began. Read more here.

If you get a fun snow photo this week in Summit, email caren.lissner@patch.com. Please include the photographer's name for a photo credit, and state that we have permission to publish it.

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