Legal Considerations for the Upcoming School Year

To Our School Board Community: Another school year is about to start, one we hoped would start without Executive Orders, last minute guidance and unclear recommendations; in other words one we hoped would start with some normalcy.  Sadly, here we are again starting a new school year with another Executive Order and “hints” of recommendations […]

William S. Donio to speak on “School Law Today” Podcast Wed. Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.

William S. Donio, Chairman of Cooper Levenson’s Education Law Practice Group, will join Ray Pinney of the New Jersey School Board Association on the podcast “School Law Today” Wed. Feb. 17 at 2 p.m. Donio and Pinney will discuss remote instruction and student privacy. The session description includes: “One of the foundations of education law […]

Governor Clarifies in Executive Order No. 196 that BOE Meetings are Legislative Proceedings NOT Subject to Restrictions on Gatherings

To Our School Board Community: The Governor issued Executive Order 196 on November 16, 2020. The Executive Order tightened up restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings. However, notably, after much debate in the legal community, Executive Order 196 clarifies that Local Boards of Education meetings are local legislative proceedings, and are not subject to the capacity […]

COVID-19 Halloween Guidance

To Our School Board Community: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we expect that Halloween will look quite different this year. In anticipation of the upcoming holiday, New Jersey has issued Halloween Celebration Guidance with recommendations on how to safely celebrate. Notable recommendations include: OUTDOOR TRICK-OR-TREATING: If you plan to trick-or-treat, you should limit your group […]

Anticipated DOE Guidance Allowing Parents to Select All Remote Learning for their Children

To Our School Board Community: We have been trying to anticipate and quickly respond to your questions during this time, given the unprecedented challenges presented to our Boards related to COVID-19 school closures.  Yesterday Governor Murphy announced that the Department of Education (“DOE”) would be releasing guidance this week allowing parents to select all-remote learning […]

Fall School Sports “Return to Play” Update

We have been trying to anticipate and quickly respond to your questions during this time, given the unprecedented challenges presented to our Boards related to COVID-19 school closures.  On July 10, 2020, NJSIAA released a memo titled, “Return to Play Update,” which contained an updated schedule for a delayed fall sports season. Presently, all fall […]

Guidance Regarding Resumption of NJSIAA Sports & Youth Summer Camps

To Our School Board Community: We have been trying to anticipate and quickly respond to your questions during this time, given the unprecedented challenges presented to our Boards related to COVID-19 school closures. On May 29, 2020, Governor Murphy issued Executive Order 149, wherein he Ordered that high school sporting activities under the jurisdiction of the […]

NJDOE Issues Guidance Regarding Observations for Provisional and Nontenured Educators

By: Kasi M. Gifford, Esq. To Our School Board Community: We have been trying to anticipate and quickly respond to your questions during this time, given the unprecedented challenges presented to our Boards related to COVID-19 school closures. We have received many questions about observations and evaluations. On May 7, 2020, the New Jersey Department of […]