BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Tuesday said that the city has not yet made a decision on how to reopen Boston Public Schools in September for the start of the fall semester.
It’s not clear if schools will open with a fully-remote learning schedule or welcome some students back on a part-time basis, but Walsh said crews are working around-the-clock to make buildings and classrooms safe for whenever it comes time for in-person learning to resume.
“Our priorities are safety, quality and equity,” Walsh said during a news conference at City Hall. “We will be guided by the data as we have been throughout the pandemic.”
Boston Public Schools have invested millions of dollars to replace more than 7,000 windows in an effort to ensure that at least one window in every classroom can be opened and crews are installing more than two dozen new HVAC systems, according to Walsh. Thousands of fans have also been purchased.
“Whether or not we have kids in them, we still need to make sure that our schools are ready,” Walsh said. “At some point in this upcoming school year, we have to bring kids back into school.”
Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday that 371 of the 400 Massachusetts schools districts had submitted reopening plans as of Monday and 70 percent of them involved either a full return to in-person learning or a hybrid of remote and in-person instruction. The remaining 30 percent of the districts are planning on fully-remote teaching.
Walsh did not reveal a timetable for when a decision will be made, saying it’s a “fluid” situation.
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