Toms River Schools Announce Shift To 5 Days In-Person

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Students in the Toms River Regional School District will return to five days a week of in-person instruction beginning May 3, Interim Superintendent Thomas Gialanella said Wednesday night.

Students would attend half-days, Gialanella said during the Board of Education's committee meetings.

He said the district had been looking at moving to five days in person but he was reluctant to make the move before Spring Break, because of widespread concerns that there would be a significant jump in the spread of the virus.

What the district has seen, instead, is a significant decrease in the infection rate, with the number of teachers and students who are quarantining down 50 percent over the last three weeks, he said.

"We are satisfied we are ready to go," Gialanella said. "Our infection rate shows we are ready for that."

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.