BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Wednesday confirmed that Boston Public School will be shifting to a fully-remote learning model as new COVID-19 cases in the city continue to climb at a concerning rate.
Students in pre-kindergarten through grade 3 were slated to begin hybrid learning no sooner than Oct. 29, but they will remain remote until further notice, according to Walsh.
Students with high in-person priority who had previously been in classrooms two days a week will be required to return to fully-remote learning until there are two full weeks of decreasing test rates.
“I am heartbroken that today we have to close our doors to our highest need students,” BPS Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius said.
Laura Dotson, whose son Anthony is autistic, had been taking part in-person learning since Oct. 1. He’ll now be forced to transition back to remote instruction.
“I’m having to be mom, teacher, therapy, everything,” Dotson said. “I’m not skilled in all of that.”
City officials on Friday delayed the start of Phase III of in-person learning, but another negative jump in public health data prompted an indefinite suspension of in-person learning for all students.
The seven-day positivity rate in the city has increased to 5.7 percent from 4.5 percent last week, public health data indicates. There have been more than 2,000 new cases reported during that time.
“We have said all along that we will only provide in-person learning for students if the data and public health guidance supports it, and this new data shows that we are trending in the wrong direction,” Walsh said. “We will continue to monitor the metrics and work towards our goal of welcoming students back into our classrooms.”
Classrooms will not be reopened again for students with high in-person priority until the citywide seven-day positivity rate is at 5 percent or below for two consecutive weeks, according to Walsh. When the positivity rate falls to 4 percent or below for two consecutive weeks, the city will restart the phased return of students for in-person learning, beginning with the youngest of children.
While the coronavirus is worrisome for Laura Dotson, pulling her son out of school is a bigger concern.
“Not is he just missing school, but he’s missing those extra services that help him develop motor skills and speech skills,” she said.
The Boston Teachers Union said they support the city’s decision to shift to all-remote learning, stressing that they don’t feel comfortable going into classrooms until there is a safer plan in place.
“We continue to advocate for a safe and sustainable plan,” BTU President Jessica Tang said.
About a dozen students and staff who have been back to class in Boston have contracted COVID-19, according to Tang.
The suspension of in-person learning takes effect Thursday.
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