Schools Open Monday

Five East Windsor Regional School District schools have power, but Melvin H. Kreps School still does not, according to an announcement by the district.

Like many in East Windsor, district officials are unsure when power will be restored to the middle school. However, school will be in session, with some modifications.

The elementary schools will follow the regular schedule.

Hightstown High School will have a 1/2 session day on Monday and middle school students will have their classes in the high school in the afternoon. High school students must report to school by 7:25 a.m. and will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m.

Kreps middle school students will begin their 1/2 session day at 10:45 a.m. at the high school. Students who ride busses should report to their stops three hours after their typical report time. Parents are advised that it is better to be early than late.

According to the district announcement, if a child is picked up by school bus, he or she should go to the regular bus stop if it is safe and possible. Some busses will be rerouted due to closed roads, and it is possible that a bus may not be able to get to a stop.  If a child’s stop appears to be unsafe, parents are advised to go to the next existing stop on the route.

There will not be a student parking lot available for Hightstown High School student use while the school is on one-session days. According to the announcement, students must walk, be dropped off to school, or ride their assigned school bus. Additionally, there will be no breakfast or lunch served for high school or middle school students.

If a child is a walker to the middle school, they should report to the front of the middle school at 10:20 a.m. Students will be driven by bus to the high school.

Because some walkways are unsafe, it is recommended that parents try to arrange transporting their students to Kreps. If this is not possible, students are advised to avoid any fallen trees, branches, or wires.

All 6th and 7th grade students will meet in the high school auditorium and will then be given further directions. 8th grade students will meet in the high school cafeteria. At the end of the day, all middle school students will be excused from the school at their regular dismissal time.

Walkers will be transported back to the middle school and they can walk home or, preferably, be picked up by a parent or guardian.

Kreps Middle School teachers will report to the high school by 9 a.m. and may park in the student parking lot. If any teacher must retrieve materials from the middle school, they can report to the main office between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Those teachers will be escorted to their classroom by a custodian with a flashlight.

District officials said high school teachers will be essential in helping to direct the middle school students to their classes and are asked to assist in their afternoon.

Since power is still out at the middle school, there is no phone service. If a parent of a middle school student needs to report an absence, they are advised to call 443-7738 (x1700).

Also, since power has been lost in all of the schools, if a child has medicine that needs to be refrigerated, parents will need to arrange to have new medication dropped off at the building.

Officials said that although a lot of planning went into developing this plan, this will be stressful time and everything will not go smoothly.

“We are asking for everyone’s cooperation,” the announcement said. “My hope is that we will only have to do this schedule for one or two days and then we can return back to Kreps.”

According to the announcement, another alert will be released when power is restored.

“However, this plan will get us through this crisis and we will use it as long as we need it,” the announcement said. “Thank you to everyone who helped to develop this plan and to all of our families for their cooperation. Please stay safe.”

In Cranbury, school will reopen on Monday, but no middle school exams will take place.

Parents are asked to send a bagged lunch if possible with students.