New Jersey offers 'bridge' year for high school students to make up for class time lost in coronavir

[TexasTowelie]

New Jersey offers ‘bridge’ year for high school students to make up for class time lost in coronavirus pandemic


A new “bridge year” pilot program will allow some New Jersey high school students to stay behind for an extra year to make up what they missed when schools were shut down abruptly by the coronavirus.

Under a law signed last month by Gov. Phil Murphy, upcoming juniors and seniors can opt to defer graduation to attend classes at their high schools, participate in extracurricular activities such as musicals, and play spring sports that were canceled because of the pandemic.

“This is just a gap year, plus,” said Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt, (D., Camden), one of the bill’s sponsors. “It creates an option for them.”New Jersey is believed to be the first state to take such action in response to the pandemic, said Mandy Zatynski, a spokesperson for the Education Commission of the States, which tracks education policy. Many schools are weighing options on plans for the 2020-21 school year amid pressure from President Donald Trump to fully reopen.

But will students enroll in high school for a fifth year?

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/education/nj-schools-bridge-year-pilot-program-makeup-coronavirus-defer-graduation-20200708.html