As Coronavirus Cases Rise, Students In Fair Lawn Return To School

FAIR LAWN, NJ — After months of vocal parent opposition to remote learning, Fair Lawn students returned to the borough's public schools for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic on Monday.

Superintendent Nick Norcia, Principal Nancy Schwindt and Vice Principal Dominick Tarquinio greeted students upon their arrival on a quintessential fall day.

"Despite the current environment we are all facing, it was great to see our students and staff excited to come back to school this morning," said Norcia, in a district Facebook post.

The return to in-person learning comes during a two-day period in which the state has topped 1,000 new coronavirus cases.

Gov. Phil Murphy announced 1,192 new cases during a Monday news conference, but also stated that he wouldn't be halting the state's reopening procedures.

"We don't have the evidence of the things that can be enforced and regulated," Murphy said. "We don't have the evidence that right now that can lead to our reversing."

On Monday, according to the district's Facebook post, students and staff were simply excited for a slight return to normalcy. But that doesn't mean the coronavirus isn't lingering in the back of their minds.

"I am looking forward to see the students’ faces and I am very excited to be back," said Vice Principal Dominick Tarquinio. "Everyone’s safety is our primary concern."