Fort Lee BOE to Cut Into Spring Recess, Make Storm Repairs After Sandy

Most of Fort Lee’s public schools were damaged to some extent during Hurricane Sandy, and students lost a total of six school days because of damage to buildings and widespread, long-lasting power outages.

On Monday, the Fort Lee Board of Education will vote on resolutions approving emergency repairs to the buildings and outlining how the school district will meet the state-mandated 180 school days this school year.

After Sandy, Fort Lee schools were forced to close from Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, a total of six school days. The 2012-2013 school calendar has already been amended once after the storm to reflect school being open when it had been scheduled to be closed on Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 because of the cancellation of the NJEA’s Atlantic City convention, leaving the district four days to make up if officials want to meet the 180-day requirement.

If the school board approves the resolution Monday, Fort Lee students will have school on Thursday, April 4 and Friday, April 5, 2013—the last two days of what would have been a full week off for spring recess—and have two “built-in” snow days removed from the school calendar.

In addition, the BOE will vote on a resolution approving emergency storm repairs, including roof and classroom repair at School No. 3, tree removal at Lewis F. Cole Middle School and window repairs and fence replacements at “various schools.”

Superintendent of Schools Steven Engravalle, who is currently on a leave of absence until January, previously told Patch that all of Fort Lee’s public schools sustained some form of damage from the storm except for School No. 4, with the most significant damage occurring at School No. 3.

The Fort Lee Board of Education’s regular business meeting takes place Monday at 8 p.m. at the Fort Lee High School library/media center. The agenda for the meeting is available on the school district’s website or by clicking here.