The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education came out with its plan for opening schools, it is hoped, in September, Thursday and now it’s up to local school departments to comply.
Face masks and physical distancing are some of the changes students will find when they return to school. State education officials say schools should be prepared for three different education models: in-person learning in school classrooms; hybrid learning, combining both in-person learning and remote learning; and education that take place entirely remotely in the event of another spike in the coronavirus.
By August, districts will be required to submit comprehensive fall reopening plans that include all three models.
Schools will not be required to conduct temperature checks under the plan. Gov. Charlie Baker and state health officials said with children, there are too many false positives and false negatives to make the checks worthwhile.
Schools would be encouraged to maintain a 6-foot separation among students when possible, but when not possible, schools would be allowed to maintain at least a 3-foot separation. The plan also calls on schools to create safe times and spaces during the day for students to temporarily remove their masks.
Elementary schools would aim to keep students in the same group throughout the day, with middle and high schools encouraged to minimize mixing student groups. Schools are also expected to have an inventory of health care supplies such as masks and gloves.
If a student shows COVID-19 symptoms during the school day, they would be moved to a specific room designated for medical isolation until they can be picked up by a family member. The room must be separate from the nurse’s office or other spaces where routine medical care is provided.
“This plan will allow schools to responsibly do what is best for students — bring them back to school to learn,” Baker said at a press conference to unveil the plan.
In Lynn, Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler said the school district is planning for the three scenarios outlined by the DESE around reopening.
It is the DESE’s expectation that school districts adhere to the first scenario, in-person learning with new safety requirements, when schools reopen in the fall, and shift to the two other scenarios — a hybrid model or remote learning as a whole — as needed, Tutwiler said.
“The expectation is that all districts will have plans for all three so you can be nimble,” said Tutwiler. “If there’s a spike, you can move to a full remote situation quickly.”
His team will perform analysis around how or if the Lynn Public Schools can adhere to the safety requirements for in-person learning, which include distancing students at least three feet apart, with six feet recommended.
The social distancing requirement is particularly challenging for a district like Lynn, which has a high student enrollment and overcrowded schools, especially at the high school level, Tutwiler said.
Part of the analysis will involve looking at whether more space can be created by removing furniture from classrooms and using larger rooms, such as school libraries for classroom space, Tutwiler said.
“We still need to do the analysis,” said Tutwiler. “Having a class of 35 high school-aged students physically distanced at 3 or more feet is going to be a challenge. If we can’t meet that criteria for distancing, we have to look at a different scenario that might involve remote learning and in-person learning.”
If the school district has to pivot to that hybrid model, Tutwiler said they’re in a much better position to do so than this past March, when schools were first closed down and districts had to scramble to come up with remote learning plans.
“I would not say right now that we’ve got a fully developed remote learning plan,” said Tutwiler. “We don’t. I’d say we have the tools to do it really effectively. We’ve got the experience of having done this for three months and we know how it can be done better.”
Tutwiler said he’s waiting until the analysis is done before he commits to a reopening plan for the fall. But he emphasized that student safety remains his top priority.
“We have a lot of work to do,” said Tutwiler. “Many things will be new and different. This is not all bad. There are some really wonderful areas in which we will evolve. We’re going to engage in a really methodical, thoughtful approach to doing this. We want to do it right and I think the students and our families deserve for us to do it that way.”
In Saugus, School Committee chairman Thomas Whitteredge said the School Committee was due to meet Thursday night to discuss the guidelines.
“(They) seem to be realistic in their attempts to get every kid back in the classroom in a safe and healthy way,” he said. “It’s up to us to figure a way to fine-tune it to work best for our district.”
School buildings were shuttered across the state March 17 as the coronavirus began spreading through Massachusetts.
Swampscott Superintendent Pamela Angelakis said the school district has to be prepared for “multiple scenarios” following the state’s guidance.
“As we digest today’s lengthy communication from the DESE, it is clear that all districts must be prepared for multiple scenarios. It is appropriate that the first word in the title of the document is ‘Initial.’ We will use the lessons learned from the process of converting to remote instruction this spring as we prepare for whatever challenges we might face,” Angelakis said. “As always, the primary motivation for all decisions will be the health and safety of our students, teachers and administrators.”
Efforts to reach school officials in Peabody and Lynnfield were unsuccessful.
Baker also announced $200 million from the state’s federal Coronavirus Relief Fund for costs related to reopening public schools.
Baker said schools are eligible for up to $225 per student for eligible costs incurred due to the pandemic public health emergency, such as training for school staff, reconfiguration of school spaces, leasing of temporary facilities, and health and hygiene supplies.
Baker said the reopening plan was built on a review of medical and scientific literature and developed in consultation with medical professionals.
The state is still working on plans for transportation and school sports.
Item reporters Elyse Carmosino and David McLellan also contributed to this report. Material from the Associated Press was also used.
