Seton Hall Prep In West Orange Sees 3 COVID Cases, Goes Remote

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall Preparatory School in West Orange has decided to switch to online-only classes after three, unrelated cases of the coronavirus were confirmed among the school community.

School administrators said the all-boys, Catholic prep school, which is run by the Archdiocese of Newark, will change to a “fully remote learning environment” on Friday. All extracurricular activities, including athletics, are postponed until further notice.

The tentative date for students to return to in-person teaching is Monday, Nov. 16. See the school’s “Road Back” plan here.

Tara Williams, the parent of a student at Seton Hall Prep, said she’s on board with the decision.

“I agree that Seton Hall Prep should close in order to conduct contact tracing and other methods to help contain the possible spread of COVID-19 to the extent it's possible,” Williams told Patch.

Other schools across Essex County have reported COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, including Washington Elementary in West Orange, which shut down for 14 days after three cases of the coronavirus were confirmed among staff and students.

• See related article: West Orange Schools See More COVID-19 Cases; Transportation Down
• See related article: Montclair Health Dept. Confirms COVID-19 Case At Verona School

In the past month, some school districts, such as Livingston and Montclair, have stayed the course with their plans to partially reopen for in-person classes.

Other Essex County school districts have chosen to remain all-remote as cases of the virus rise in the region, including Newark, Maplewood and Bloomfield.

• See related article: Newark Public Schools Put Brakes On Plan To Reopen In Person
• See related article: Bloomfield Schools Delay Plan To Reopen, Will Stay All-Online
• See related article: Maplewood Schools Will Now Stay Remote Until January

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