Schools Superintendent William O. George said Monday that although schools are closed, he and central administration has been working around the clock with township officials and parent organizations to assess and address the post-Hurricane Sandy crisis in Middletown school district.
"Our offices are closed, but we are working," said George on Monday at noon.
School teams have returned to practices. NJSIAA scheduled games will be played, but on a week's delay. "Trunk or treat" belated Halloween trick-or-treating for district children at area schools is being organized, likely for next Sunday afternoon. And the district is supporting use of its schools as day shelters or drop-off / pick-up donations sites during polling on Tuesday.
The district website and email servers are operational again.
The following is a statement distributed by George at noon on Nov. 5.
Dear School Community,
May this communication find you and the rest of our community safe, dry and warm, the number one concern is the safety of our school community. That being said, it is our first priority to educate the children of Middletown. At this point these are competing objectives. We are working with the Township and Office of Emergency Management in consultation with the Department of Education and Board of Education to return our students to school as soon as possible.
To this end there are many things to consider to ensure a safe, educationally productive environment for our students. At this time, we still have a number of schools without power, and many families have been displaced from their homes without having the time to find transitional living arrangements.
We are working this week to secure transportation for our students and identify hazardous routes, while the township is clearing roads and working with power companies to remove dangerous down power lines.
As many of our families are still focused on food, shelter and clean clothing. We will continue to evaluate our facilities and prepare for the safe return of our students as soon as possible.
Please check the Township and District websites for the most up to-date information.
