Paramus schools delay in-person classes until November
PARAMUS, N.J. - The Board of Education of Paramus has delayed the start of the in-person school year to Nov. 9, 2020.
Superintendent Sean Adams broke the news in a letter to the district (see below) after the board met on Monday night. He attributed the difficult decision to a staffing shortage due, in part, to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. That legislation requires the school district to provide its staff members with paid leave for those who need to stay home and take care of their children.
The number of staffing vacancies jumped from 13 to 50 within a two-day period, according to a meeting presentation. Adams said the last-minute change will give the district more time to hire new staff and conduct background checks.
So for now, students are gearing up for the first day of remote learning.
———
PARAMUS SCHOOL DISTRICT STATEMENT
At our August 31 board meeting, the board of education approved a delay to the start of the in-person school year to November 9, 2020. While circumstances dictated the need for this adjustment, it is nonetheless an extremely disappointing turn of events for our students, parents/guardians, administration, faculty, staff, and board of education. In addition to the communications I have received from parents/guardians expressing their hopes for a quick return to in-person learning, I have received an equally significant number of emails and calls from our teaching and support staff expressing the same shared desire: that our schools are opened for in-person learning as quickly as possible. We invite you to read through our September 1 update in its entirety.