Princeton Public Schools will go remote-only the week after Thanksgiving

All students in the Princeton Public Schools will learn remotely for the week after Thanksgiving because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The school board approved the change recommended by Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso at the board’s public meeting Tuesday night. Galasso said he met with local health department officials and decided it would be best to switch to remote-only learning for all students for the week of Nov. 30.

“We will use that week to work with the Princeton Health Department and our school doctor to determine the cases, which are mounting in Princeton and the regional area. What we are trying to do is mitigate some of the quarantining,” Galasso said, adding that it becomes impossible to operate schools if too many teachers must be quarantined.

Galasso said hopefully sick kids and teachers will be flagged that week so that the spread of COVID-19 is avoided in the schools. Staff and students can then return to schools on Dec. 7, he said.

“The prudent move was to close school for that week so we could mitigate any illnesses and return our staff on the seventh, when we are comfortable that all of our symptoms have been checked, all the cases reported to the Princeton Health Department have been contact-traced, and we can satisfy the requirement of to bring both our students and staff back to a healthy environment.”