Warren Township Schools Plan To Stay In-Person In 2022

WARREN, NJ — While the spike in coronavirus cases both locally and across New Jersey has prompted some school districts to shift to fully remote instruction, the Warren Township School District is not considering that option.

"The Warren Township School District is doing everything possible to keep all schools open and operating with traditional length school days. There are no plans to switch to virtual after winter break," said Superintendent Dr. Mattew Mingle.

In New Jersey, at least nine school districts pivoted to remote learning or half days this holiday week. Maplewood School District and The College of New Jersey even went one step further when they announced that they will start the new year with remote education, due to rising COVID-19 cases. Read More: NJ School Closures Grow As COVID Cases Spike

Watchung Hills Regional High School, which draws students from Warren, Watchung, Green Brook and Long Hill, did switch to half days during this holiday week. However, Superintendent Dr. Elizbeth Jewett said, "we have no plans to go virtual after break."

New Jersey reported 9,711 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the most reported for a single day in the state at any time during the pandemic. Read More: Record COVID Cases In NJ As Holidays Near

In Somerset County, there have been 1,325 new cases reported from Dec. 7 through Dec. 17, according to the Somerset County Health Department, including 125 new cases in Bridgewater in that time.

The Warren school district has been posting a dashboard of cases and has seen increases in those numbers just as most districts have experienced. As of Thursday, there were 4 new confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and staff, according to the district.

Since the beginning of the school year, the Warren School District reported 90 total cases among students and staff. This is already just about equal to the number of cases (91) the district saw for the entire school year in 2020-21.

Students and staff members who are identified as a close contact of someone who tests positive for COVID-19 only are required to quarantine if they are not vaccinated, according to the recent change by the state Department of Health in its guidelines for student and staff quarantines.

Those who are fully vaccinated or who have had COVID-19 and recovered from it within the last 90 days do not have to quarantine, under the new guidelines. Those who are required to quarantine can return to school after seven days if a COVID-19 PCR test at the fifth day or beyond comes back negative for the virus. Without testing, unvaccinated students or staff must wait 10 days in quarantine.

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