Busing, desk distancing, and technology top issues
By Vicki Greene, Contributing Writer
Photo/submitted
Marlborough – There has been no time off this summer for the Marlborough Public School’s staff as they work to develop school reopening plans. Per State Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley, all public school districts must create three possible plans – a full return to class model, a hybrid model, and a fully remote model.
Marlborough Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bergeron presented the first formal draft of the three plans to the School Committee on July 14 for review. Bergeron told the Committee he will present a final three-option plan at its July 28 meeting and is hoping for a vote on the proposals. He said he plans to send the official plans to the state by July 31.
Providing a safe and effective learning environment is the obvious priority that guides many decisions as well as the sensitivity felt for parents working and worried about childcare issues. During his comments, Bergeron advised parents to make sure they have” some sort of backup childcare option in place” should anything change during the school year.
The state is recommending desks be six-feet apart, but schools can drop to three-feet, if necessary, not including lunch.
Bergeron presented pictures of a Richer School classroom of desks that showed what the spacing would like at both three and six-feet apart. He told the School Committee the District simply doesn’t have the faculty or the space to provide a full return to school with six-feet spacing; however, they can do it with the hybrid model.
Parents were surveyed as to how they prefer a hybrid model to work and results indicated that they preferred one-week in class and one-week remote. Bergeron labeled week one, the “Instruction Week” and week two, the “Production Week.” He stressed that attendance will be taken every day (working in class or from home) and letter grades will be given as usual.
No matter what model is used, Bergeron explained that the administration has planned to have all students in Grades 1-2, and Grades 10-11 as well as students in the individual and ESL needs programs in school full-time.
“Reading can only be taught in-person, in the classroom,” Bergeron said.
He explained that if students are not reaching proper reading levels by end of Grade 2, it will affect their entire learning path. Due to the lack of an MCAS test last Spring, Grade 11 students will be back and preparing to take it this year and Grade 10 will prepare, as usual, and take the test this year. Passing the MCAS is needed to graduate high school.
“Busing is the major gatekeeper to any of these plans,” Bergeron stressed.
An email went to all parents asking about bus passes and ridership. He said the state has to provide final guidance but administrators are working off of a one-third ridership, one student per seat, 25-27 students per bus. Kindergarten would be on an AM/PM schedule. Because there are now four elementary schools, the Middle and High Schools in addition to half-day Kindergarten pickups, buses would be running “10 hours per day” and timing would have to change.
“We would have to seek a waiver from the state to shorten the school day for all by approximately 45-55 minutes” to allow for bus drop-off and pick-up times, Bergeron explained. He urges all parents to respond to the email or contact the District Office if their student plans to ride the bus.
