Schools Plan to Reopen Monday

After one week of closures, both the Butler and Bloomingdale school districts will open to students on Monday. Kinnelon schools will tentatively reopen Monday as well, with a final decision slated to be made mid-day Sunday. If Kinnelon schools open, they will be on a 90-minute delayed opening.

Earlier Saturday, the school district said the Kinnelon schools will not reopen at the start of the week because of "unforseen difficulties that make this impossible," according to school officials. The district told parents that because of continuing road closures, power outages and staff shortages, the schools will be unable to open Monday. Additionally, the Kinnelon district was concerned about gas.

"We currently have no information as to the availability of diesel nor when we will receive diesel deliveries to run our buses," the district said on its website.

But at 4:30, the district sent a message to all parents through the Textcaster system saying the Kinnelon schools planned to open.

"Bus fueling remains a concern for the entire week as does getting staff into schools with the current gas availability problems we are facing across the state," the district said. "Due to continued concerns about fueling busses, we will make a day-to-day decision about Tuesday and Wednesday."

The Kinnelon Board of Education will have a special meeting at 8 p.m. Monday in the Kinnelon High School auditorium to discuss school openings for the following days, including Thursday and Friday, when students were scheduled to be out of school during the teachers' NJEA convention.

Butler Public Schools will, however, open on a regular schedule Monday. Superintendent Mario Cardinale said a limited lunch menu will be available to students and staff members.

Butler schools will also open on Thursday and Friday, when students were originally expected to have two days off.

"If these make-up school days conflict with unalterable family plans, please contact your school principal next week," Cardinale told parents.

Bloomingdale Public Schools will also open all of next week, according to a school secretary. The lunch menu will consist of pizza at all schools on Monday and Tuesday and menu information for the following days will be sent out to parents on Tuesday.

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