Teacher union for Clearview School District asks district to go virtual due to spiking coronavirus cases

MULLICA HILL, N.J. - With spiking cases around the region, the teachers union for Clearview School District in Gloucester County is asking the district to go virtual. 

The teachers union president is not mincing words. Paul Sommers sent a letter to the Gloucester County Health Department on Monday strongly urging a switch from hybrid to fully remote learning. He says in light of 12 cases of coronavirus surfacing within the school community in a single week is an unsettling uptick.

"We wanna know why are we not closed when other schools are closing for far fewer cases in our area," he said.

Sommers is also asking why Thanksgiving plans must be scrapped but in-person classes with as many as 40 students remain “okay” during this COVID surge.

"They’ve been scared from the beginning many wearing scrubs, wearing face shields, masks, taking every precaution necessary to protect selves and protect their families," Sommers said.

Sommers shared a response he received from the county health department Wednesday evening saying that contact tracing efforts showed the recent exposures are occurring outside of school and therefore there is no reason for the health department to order a shutdown.

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