BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston school officials revealed tentative plans for reopening in the fall amid the coronavirus pandemic during a conference call with parents on Wednesday.
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The plans include three models of instruction: entirely in-person, entirely remote, and a hybrid of the two.
“Many parents want their children back in school in some type of capacity,” said Dr. Brenda Cassellius, Superintendent of Boston Public Schools.
A recent poll of Boston parents found two-thirds want kids back in class — either full-time or part-time — in a hybrid approach that would break the student body into groups and switch them in and out of school.
“I think if parents don’t feel comfortable, then learning online is good for them,” Charlestown parent Nicole Flynn said. “But I think kids should go back to school.”
If students do end up being allowed back in the classroom, there will be an array of safety restrictions in place to guard against the transmission of coronavirus, including:
- Social distancing of 6 feet
- Masks required for all students and staff
- Only one student per row per bus
- No food served in cafeterias
- Strict health protocols for buses and schools
- No group gatherings if infections increase
Gov. Charlie Baker said during a news conference that he hopes to have children in classrooms across the Bay State.
“Our goal should be to try to figure out how to make that work if we can,” Baker said.
Earlier this week, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said that all students physically returning to the classrooms would “probably be a stretch.” He also indicated a preference for a blend of in-person and remote instruction.
“We want to take into account our teachers, our custodians, our foodservice folks, so I think over the course of the next few weeks we’re gonna have many conversations to talk about how we would reopen school, potentially in a blended model, safely,” Walsh said.
As of right now, students and staff will not be required to be tested before entering the schools.
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