Wayne seeking tow virtual class days
Five schools are sites for polls in special election
By: Philip DeVencentis
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
WAYNE - The school district wants to give remote instruction on two days when special elections will be held to fill the vacated congressional seat of Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill.
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Five township schools are polling sites for voters in the 11th Congressional District, raising concerns over safety and security.
..... In New Jersey, police officers are prohibited from standing within 100 feet of polling sites under a law enacted four years ago to prevent voter intimidation.
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Although local schools are normally closed when elections occur, Sherrill's victory in the gubernatorial race over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, and her subsequent resignation from Congress, puts the district in a jam. The problem can be solved only through remote instruction, officials said.
..... Primaries will be on February 5 [2026] before general election decides who will assume the House vacancy on April 16. [2026]
..... Thirteen Democrats and one Republican filed nomination petitions to run in the primaries, Sherrill, 53, a former federal prosecutor, will take office as governor on January 20. [2026]
..... Officials said they do not want to close schools during the special election because the district calendar is "extremely tight." There is little wiggle room, they said, especially if a bad winter should lead to snow days.
..... "You can only cut up the pie into 180 pieces so many ways," said Donald Pavklak Jr., the president of the Board of Education.
..... Trustees passed a resolution on December 18 [2025] to petition the state Department of Education to allow remote instruction in lieu of in-person instruction during the special election.
..... The request asks for those days to count toward the threshold of 180, the number of days per year that districts are required to be in session to qualify for state aid.
..... Copies
of the resolution were sent to affected school systems in the 11th district, which includes portions of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties.