Maplewood's Police and Fire Chiefs, as well as the heads of the Department of Public Works and Health, are recommending that South Orange/Maplewood schools should not reopen on Thursday, according to Maplewood Mayor Vic DeLuca.

Superintendent Brian Osborne tweeted a notice on Tuesday night reporting, "Only minor damage to SOMSD schools. Hoping any school with power on opens on Thursday."

"Our emergency management team doesn't feel we are able to have students get to school safely," said DeLuca on Wednesday afternoon at Town Hall, "whether or not the schools themselves have power."

Although the township has cleared many streets of downed trees, many trees with power lines and wires on them remain in streets. The township needs authorization from PSE&G before they can clear those trees, said DeLuca.

DeLuca said that Maplewood Middle School, Jefferson School and Columbia High School have power; Seth Boyden and Tuscan do not. He said that as far as he knew, the only school in South Orange to not have power is South Mountain Annex.

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