Gov. Phil Murphy says schools that cannot meet health and safety guidelines for an in-person start to the academic year can go with an all-remote option.

The governor said Wednesday he will sign an executive order for the state's roughly 600 schools to begin in-person instruction in September.

“We are reaffirming our commitment to provide the flexibility for our districts to do what is best for their school community,” Murphy said during his COVID-19 briefing.

 

The ability for some schools to start entirely remotely is a change from the governor’s June guidance, which required all schools to have in-person instruction. In July, Murphy approved an option for parents to request all-remote learning for their children.

"We recognize there are legitimate and documentable reasons why some of these core safety standards cannot be met on Day 1,” Murphy said.

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The announcement comes as three of New Jersey’s education associations issued statements declaring that it was still too unsafe for schools to reopen for in-person education. The New Jersey Education Association, Principals and Supervisors Association, and Association of School Administrators say that the threat of the virus puts students, staff and faculty and their families at risk.

Wednesday’s decision means some school districts can begin with just virtual learning. It’s unclear how many districts that would entail.