BOSTON (WHDH) - Boston will welcome back thousands of students in preschool through grade three for in-person learning starting on Monday as coronavirus metrics in the city continue to trend positive, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced Thursday.
“This is a big step for us, the positivity rate is in the right place,” Walsh said during a news conference at City Hall. “We’re seeing the trends going in the right direction, so getting our kids in school now is the next important step.”
About 7,900 students will be returning to classrooms across the city, in addition to many other high-need students who have been learning in-person since November, according to Walsh.
Walsh noted that schools have been equipped with air purifiers, new filters in HVAC systems, medical-grade PPE, and disposal masks for students and staff, among many other safety measures that have been put in place.
“It will be the first time that our kids will be in school in nearly a year,” Walsh said. “We’re making sure that our classrooms and buildings are safe for students, teachers, and staff.”
Students in grades 4-8 will be eligible for in-person learning on March 15. All remaining students will be allowed to return to class on March 29.
Walsh said all parents will be given the choice to keep their children in remote learning.
The announcement comes after Jeffrey C. Riley, the state’s commissioner of elementary and secondary education, proposed a plan earlier this week that would have elementary school students across the state back in classrooms by April.
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