MERS To Go Remote Days After Winter Break Over Staffing Concerns

MANALAPAN, NJ - All in-person classes at Manalapan-Englishtown Regional Schools (MERS) will be suspended in the days following winter break due to anticipated positive COVID-19 case spikes and subsequent staffing concerns.

In a Dec. 18 letter to district families, Superintendent of Schools John J. Marciante, Jr. announced the schedule change, which will include the suspension of in-person instruction from Jan. 4 through Jan. 6 for all students in the K-8 district:

“We have stayed open by assessing on an ongoing basis our ability to staff the schools. Unfortunately, the district will not know what our staffing concerns are until the day we return, Monday, January 4th. In essence, I currently do not have that data I need as a basis for this decision,” Marciante wrote.

“On Wednesday January 6th, your child’s principal will inform you of the status of their building and the ability to return to in-person instruction. It is possible that some buildings will remain remote while others return to in-person learning on Thursday, January 7th.”

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In his letter, Marciante noted that the district had one “probable” case and one possible incident of in-school transmission in a district building. After correspondence from the Manalapan Health Department, it was determined that both incidents “did not reflect a significant increase in risk to the staff or student body at large in that building,” thus keeping the school building open.

“As I have indicated in the past, my goal is to keep the schools open as much as possible and at the same time, keep the community aware of my decision making process,” Marciante concluded.

Manalapan High School, which serves students as part of the Freehold Regional High School District, will operate remotely from Jan. 4 through Jan. 8. Read more: Freehold Regional HS District To Go Virtual After Winter Break