As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools around New Jersey are announcing that they are switching to hybrid schedules or going remote.

Come January, thousands of students will be deprived of an education, physical activity, speech and occupational services, counseling, and socialization. Some will go without hot meals, care from a nurse, a warm place to stay during the day, a trusted adult to confide in, a safe space to be who they are and to be called their proper pronouns. 

These closures are a public health catastrophe for public school students and their families. It is unconscionable that while the rest of the state remains open and adults are allowed to mostly return to their pre-pandemic lives – in fact our governor recently traveled out of the country on vacation – that children are trapped in the uncertainty, instability, and isolation of March 2020. 

We ask Governor Murphy and our elected leaders to order all public schools to follow the science and the guidance from leading public health officials: Order all schools to stay open, in-person, and full-time. Our children’s present and future depend on it. 

Research supports in-person learning in spite of rising case levels. Despite the rise in cases, the fact remains that this virus is typically no more than a mild cold for the vaccinated and the very young–as is widely reported and supported by statistics. Furthermore, research supports in-person learning in spite of rising case levels. The CDC has given us a roadmap to adjust to life with COVID–by recently endorsing test-to-stay and reduced quarantines.

We are calling on Governor Murphy and our elected leaders to stand up for our children. Order school districts to stay open, in-person, and full-time. Our children’s present and future depend on it.