West Orange Super Reverses School Snow Day Decision

West Orange, NJ – School is open… or is it?

West Orange public school students expecting to return to class on Tuesday got an unexpected gift of another snow day, when Superintendent Jeff Rutzky rescinded his earlier decision regarding closures in the district.

Rutzky made his first announcement – schools would be open on Tuesday – around 6 p.m. on Monday.

The decision set off a flurry of comments on social media:

• “No one thought to clear the sidewalks near the schools before making this decision? A lot of children walk to and from school.”
• “The snow mountains at the corners near the schools need to be dealt with or walking will be a problem.”
• “Harrison Ave is a nightmare, as is Cherry St. Kids would have to walk and wait in street. Corners aren’t clear. Not safe!”
• “Drop off at St. Cloud is already a nightmare due to the limited parking situation. Tomorrow a.m. should be an adventure to say the least.”

Rutzky made his second announcement around 9 p.m. on Monday, stating that schools would be closed after all on Tuesday.

“After a recent update from town officials, I have learned that certain streets and sidewalks are still snow covered and could create an unsafe situation for vehicles and walkers,” he wrote via social media. “Mayor Parisi, Chief Abbott and Mr. Sayers conveyed that an additional day would benefit the snow clean up. With this new information, I have decided to close schools for Tuesday, January 26th. My number one priority is the safety of our students, staff and parents. All school events and activities are cancelled for Tuesday.”

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