Red Bank Schools to Remain Closed This Week

Red Bank public schools will remain closed this week, Mayor Pat Menna said at a restoration service at Pilgrim Baptist Church Sunday afternoon.

With a significant portion of the borough still without power and  with Sunday's time change bringing night earlier, Menna said there are still dangerous conditions present throughout the borough, including downed wires, that pose a risk to the district's large school-age pedestrian population, among other concerns.

Red Bank's schools were closed all of last week following Hurricane Sandy's arrival on the New Jersey coast. The hurricane caused destruction in Red Bank in the form of downed trees, some flooding, and property damage and also caused massive regional power outages. As of Sunday, Jersey Central Power and Light reported that less than 2,000 customers in Red Bank were without power, though that total includes much of the west side of town, which also boasts a large student population.

Menna also said Red Bank Primary School, which sits along the Navesink River, suffered some flood damage during Sandy. Though it's being remediated, Menna said school officials wanted to make sure it posed no health risks to students before reopening the schools.

Superintendent Laura Morana was expected to release an updated school scheduled Monday morning.