Students will learn virtually from the school’s start date Sept. 8 until Oct. 5 due to staffing issues, Superintendent Philip Guenther said in an email to parents.

A significant number of faculty members have requested leaves and will not be available for in-person instruction, he said.

“We are very disappointed with this change as approximately 70% of our parents want their students to return to school in–person, and we have worked for months to develop a reopening plan to facilitate the safe return of our students and staff,” Guenther said. “Our plan has been reviewed by the Atlantic County Office of Education and has met all of the standards required by the New Jersey Department of Education. We continue to believe that it is important for our students to return to school in-person, and we will work to resolve our staffing issues as soon as possible.”

A new virtual schedule will be posted on the district website, he said.

Districts in Atlantic County that have not announced changes to plans for hybrid instruction in the fall include Egg Harbor City, Buena Regional, Northfield, Linwood, Mainland Regional, Hammonton, Weymouth Township, Estell Manor, Ventnor and Margate, although some districts have delayed the start of school to allow more time to prepare their buildings.

Staff Writer Claire Lowe contributed to this report.