Lawrence Township Public Schools officials’ hopes that students and teachers would abandon the virtual classroom and return to the real classroom were dashed when Gov. Phil Murphy extended school building closures through May 15.
The Lawrence Township public school buildings have been closed since March 16 in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19. School district officials held out the hope that students would be able to return to the school buildings before the end of the 2019-20 school year.
The Lawrence Township Public Schools, like public and private schools across New Jersey, shifted to distance learning last month in compliance with Gov. Murphy’s executive order that closed school buildings.
In his April 17 letter to students and their families, Superintendent of Schools Ross Kasun wrote that “while it is disappointing that the stay-at-home order is extended, together we are resilient and will get through this.
“We realize the school closure extension is especially disappointing for our high school seniors and their families. We are exploring opportunities to highlight and celebrate them as their high school career draws to a close,” Kasun wrote.
Acknowledging that the “biggest questions” surround the senior prom and graduation, Kasun said school district officials would share plans about the events once those plans are finalized.
When the school district moved to virtual/remote learning on short notice last month, 150 Chromebook laptop computers were distributed to students who did not have one so they could participate in virtual learning, Kasun said.
When school district officials discovered that more Chromebook laptop computers were needed, the Lawrence Township Education Foundation offered the district a $26,085 grant to buy 100 more Chromebooks.
The Lawrence Township Education Foundation’s grant was not in the foundation’s budget, Kasun said. He praised the nonprofit group for stepping forward “to help fulfill our needs and bring educational opportunities into more students’ homes during the closure.”
