By Vicki Greene, Contributing Writer
Marlborough – The School Committee July 28 approved Superintendent Michael Bergeron’s recommendation for a hybrid plan for start of the 2020-2021 year.
“Safety is the number one priority,” Bergeron emphasized as he began the meeting. Flexibility is also high on his priority list. He said he has daily conversations with the local Board of Health and if the data or the state leaders call for a change to a full remote learning environment the district is prepared to change gears.
Though the city is recommending the hybrid model with one week in-class and one-week remote, the city must still turn in three plans to the state – hybrid, full time in class and full. The state education commissioner announced an extra 10-day delay to start the school year which will allow schools more time to prepare. Marlborough will use that time to for professional development, so that faculty will be comfortable using the new model and technology. Bergeron plans to bring an updated school year calendar to the August 11 School Committee meeting.
Under the hybrid model, 60 percent of students are in the buildings on any given day. According to Bergeron, students will be divided into two “cohorts” by alphabet; the plan is to try to keep siblings on the same schedule so families can keep consistent schedules as much as possible.
Masks will be required in school and on buses and mask breaks will be provided. Meals will be prepackaged and for remote learners there will be a similar meal pickup plan
(meals for three days at time) as is being done this summer. They plan to increase the number of meal pick-up sites from 15 to 20 when school begins.
The latest parents survey indicated 70 percent plan to send their kids to school while 30 percent had plans to keep their kids home. All students who choose to stay home will have access to a planned curriculum, according to Bergeron.
The safety benefit to the hybrid model is that it allows all desks to be six feet apart. All students will have access to a technology device and the administration is working on access to hotspots for every student that needs one.
Pre-K and K will be AM/PM. Grades 1-2 will all be in school full time given the critical years for literacy and desks will be six feet apart. As for the High School, all of 10th grade will be in school full-time (at six feet desk distance). Depending on the class levels some juniors will be required to be in school full-time. All special education and ESL levels 1 and 2 will also be in school full-time.
The state has mandated one student per seat on a school bus. Bergeron stressed that all students need a bus pass to ride to school. 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. The city must increase the number of bus runs so administrators are waiting to hear about the waiver request to shorten the school day by approximately 45 to 50 minutes to accommodate the new bus runs.
Expecting more parents to drop off students given bus limitations or health concerns, Bergeron and Director of Finance and Operations Douglas Dias noted that Marlborough Police will provide support for the first two weeks “as families and bus drivers adjust to new traffic patterns.”
Dias addressed several safety issues. He told the Committee they have all the PPE items needed and that they are working with an HVAC consultant on changing or upgrading filters and testing the systems in all buildings to maintain air quality, in addition to daily cleaning and sanitizing. Bus windows will all be open except if there is inclement weather.
The state has issued example protocols should student show symptoms and ultimately test positive for coronavirus. The schools will have separate medical waiting areas in addition to current nurse offices.
Bergeron used a slide detailing what would happen if an elementary student showed symptoms while in school. The local Department of Health would be notified, contact tracing would be done to identify the cohort and/or classroom the students was in and all of those in contact with the student would be notified though the identity of the student cannot be communicated to anyone by law, due to privacy issues. The sick student’s classroom, bus and any other contact point, will be cleaned and sanitized per state regulations.
The District is actively hiring LPNs (Licensed Practical Nurses) to help school nurses in each building, additional custodial positions, cafeteria workers, substitute teachers and bus drivers.
Parents are encouraged to contact the District Office by phone or email with any questions. There will be information as it is updated at mps-edu.org.
