It’s the question on everyone’s mind. After suspending school for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year in March, how will schools around the world be reopened?

  Some states with less cases of the world pandemic, COVID-19, have been reopening while enforcing social distance rules. Other states, like New Jersey, haven’t been as lucky.

  Unfortunately for the Garden State, it is very close to the epicenter of the coronavirus in New York. So, New Jersey has seen the second most cases of the virus, behind the Big Apple.

  As of right now, a quarantine is still in place in New Jersey, with some places like parks reopening gradually. As of now, New Jersey is getting closer to Stage 2 of its multi-stage reopening plan. Governor Phil Murphy continues his efforts to make sure that his state can come back strong from the pandemic.

  But the big question still remains. Will schools be opened back up in the fall? On Wednesday, May 27th, Murphy declared that “we’ve got to find a way” to have schools reopened.

  Murphy and the government have been in talks to discuss whatever or not students can return to their schools. “I don’t want to marry myself to this, but probably by mid-June,” Murphy said. “We’ve got to have that pretty-well scoped out. My bias is gonna be: We’ve got to find a way to get back into the buildings. That’s my going-in bias. Again, it’s got to be done right and responsibly.”

  The New Jersey School Boards Association released a 30-page report a week prior. The report released the challenges that educators face in getting students back to in-person classes. Those challenges include additional bus runs to provide more social distancing whether or not face covering should be required for students.

  The governor of New Jersey is optimistic that by September, school bells will be ringing. 

    Eastern’s principal, Dr. Robert Tull, is keeping a watchful eye on the situation. “Planning forward, schools will need to have an emergency plan in place for converting to a remote platform, in the event of another health crisis of this magnitude, along with the technology infrastructure to support both teachers and students,” Tull said.

  Junior Adam Safier is confident that schools will reopen but believes that there won’t be a right choice. “People will be unhappy with any decision but personally, I think if it’s sanitary there is no reason not to reopen,” Safier said.

  Safier suggests that schools could have some in person school days and some virtual school days to ease into going back to school.

  Phil Murphy remains optimistic and believes that by September, school bells will be ringing. Dr. Tull also remains optimistic but comments that “mask may very well be a new requirement for students to attend schools.”

  Whenever students come back to schools next year, the adjustment process will not be easy. For Eastern, a school in New Jersey, that can be looked at as an understatement.

  Fall is coming up quickly with a little more than three months to go. The New Jersey government will have a big decision regarding whether or not schools reopen to the public