Black Horse Pike Schools Delay Reopening By 1 Week

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Black Horse Pike Regional School District’s reopening date has been delayed a week, according to Superintendent of Schools Brian Repici.

Both public school districts in Gloucester Township announced they would transition to full-remote learning schedules amid a spike in coronavirus cases in November. Read more here: Gloucester Township, Black Horse Pike Schools Going Full Remote

The high school district decided to delay its reopening based on data from the health department, Repici said.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about novel coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

“Originally, students of the Black Horse Pike Regional School District were scheduled to return to in-person instruction on January 11, 2021,” Repici said in a letter to the school community. “The date to return to in-person instruction will have to be adjusted, however, due to the number of other school districts not returning, at the earliest, until January 19, the health department data suggesting a period of time where infection rates may still be in the "High" category, and concerns over January 11, 2021, still being within the 14-day quarantine window following New Year's weekend.”

Students at Highland, Timber Creek and Triton regional high schools will now return to in-person learning on Jan. 19, according to Repici. Students in Group A will return the following day.

Athletic and co-curricular participation will not begin until Jan. 16, but coaches may meet with students virtually before that time.

“All in-person practices will adhere to all CDC, NJSIAA, NJDOH, and BHPRSD safety expectations,” Repici said. “Please know that any or all of this may change depending upon the Health information we receive from the New Jersey Department of Health over the next couple of weeks. Until then, students will continue to be expected to attend remote and virtual instruction at the direction of their teachers. We continue to urge our students, parents, and caregivers to utilize the counseling, tutoring, and meal services available to all students. Information can be found on our district and schools' websites.”