The 2020-21 school year was just ending when the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in concert with the state Department of Public Health, essentially told public school districts to scrap prior guidelines that had been advising superintendents to plan for a more normal 2021-22.
While the Delta variant of COVID-19 hasn’t exactly shut down the region, the effects were felt on August 25 when the state-mandated the wearing of facemasks for ages 5 and over in public schools at least to October 1.
“I know that we were hoping that many of the COVID-19 safety protocols and measures would not be needed during the 2021-22 school year,” said Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of School Mike Nelson during the August 26 meeting of the ORR Joint School Committee / Superintendency Union #55. “I was hoping for the same, and although we may not all agree on the best way to reopen schools, I’m hoping that we can all agree to support the greater good and the school community as a whole.
“The tri-town schools are strong … they’re full of stakeholders that are excellent advocates for what they believe is best for our students. I respect that greatly about our communities, and I’m hoping we can all do our best to respect one another as we welcome our students back to the classrooms and we renew our partnerships with our families and other stakeholders.”
Unlike last year, ORR District schools are starting the academic year by opening five days per week to all students. Nelson said ORR is looking to bring back clubs and activities and sports in greater numbers than in 2020-21. Indoor sports will be required to wear masks. Mask breaks may occur during the school day when the windows are open.
Union-side Chair Sharon Hartley explained that, in light of the DESE’s and DPH’s mask mandate, the Joint School Committee would not be voting on the matter as originally planned.
After October 1, if school staff and student body demonstrate 80 percent vaccination or greater, that school will no longer be required to wear masks inside buildings. In a departure from last year, testing is encouraged outside of symptom-driven tests, but ORR will start with those displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19.
Parents and guardians must provide consent for their children to participate in testing.
If a student, for instance, has a headache that is consistent with that student’s typical symptoms, that student will be allowed to remain in school. Nonetheless, Nelson recommended that anyone displaying symptoms and feeling ill stay home and strongly consider COVID-19 testing.
It is still believed that three feet of social distancing is the best way for students to maintain health, according to Nelson, who said social distancing will allow students to avoid becoming close contacts to any COVID cases.
In-person clubs and extracurricular activities will follow the same masking guidelines as the school day. Riding on the bus requires masks, including the driver.
ORR will double the number of air-quality tests conducted in public schools and share the information with the public.
Hoping that the initial focus of the JSC meeting would not have been on masking and social distancing, Nelson said ORR is committed to DESE’s Accelerated Roadmap and truly focusing on “what we all want to be doing, which is teaching and learning.”
He relayed DESE’s three main pillars of learning acceleration: a sense of belonging, monitoring students’ understanding, and ensuring strong, grade-appropriate instruction.
To that end, ORR drew nearly 175 students in Grades K-2, 3-4, 8, and 10 for holding its first Acceleration Academy, a one-week intensive camp, in late August.
Nelson stressed that the theory behind learning acceleration is not limited “to the gifted and talented,” nor is it remedial in nature. “We believe the research tells us that students do best when they’re with their grade-level peers and receiving the instruction and scaffolding supports they need in real-time.”
ORR has long touted “social-emotional learning,” and amidst an uncertain circumstance, as it relates to COVID-19, Nelson is explicitly tying that long-held theme to DESE’s Accelerated Roadmap, calling it the district’s blueprint for the next few years.
Safety measures will remain fluid, but education will be the main priority for 2021-22.
Initial questions from the committee and the public were vaccine-related.
Citing one dissenting vote on the state’s masking mandate through October 1, committee member Anne Fernandes said, “We know that we are going to have families within the district who are not – and this is putting it lightly – happy to have their children masked again.” Nelson said ORR has already sought and is receiving legal advice on complex scenarios.
“There is some strong guidance that allows school administrations to make decisions in the moment to make sure we can protect the safety of all, but we also want to make sure we protect any rights so,” said Nelson. “We are navigated that, but we are aware that scenario may present itself, and we will work through that on a case-by-case scenario.”
DESE has declared remote learning illegal for public schools in 2021-22, but in answer to member Margaret McSweeny’s question, Nelson explained that families can apply to the district to homeschool their children and still receive the district’s support system as it relates to special needs.
Member Frances Kearns asked about the absentee policy, which has changed for 2021-22. The “remote present” category is no longer recognized, per state policy.
Nelson said the district will partner with local health authorities in both potential clinics and the sharing of vaccination rates on the district’s COVID-19 dashboard. Parental consent to the testing program is a year-long consent that cannot be altered by ORR.
Member Carly Lavin asked about exceptions to mask-wearing requirements. DESE refers to medical and behavioral exceptions requiring physicians’ notes and subsequent decisions.
Locally, school buses will be supplied with extra masks so that no student without a mask is turned away from boarding.
Kearns also asked about additional CARES Act funding. Nelson said air scrubbers and air purifiers are using the second segment of CARES Act funding, and there will be a third wave of funds.
In her Chairperson’s Report, Hartley expressed appreciation to administrators and staff for their preparation for the video back-to-school plan. “I was able to view that today on the Rochester website and I was really impressed,” she said, citing its clear and consistent information. “I’m excited as we head into a terrific school year.”
In her Region-side chairperson’s report, Heather Burke discussed the lessons learned through the 2020-21 academic year and applying those to 2021-22. She reflected a year to when community groups were putting together three types of school plans, their emphasis on robust learning that was meaningful with students’ needs prioritized.
“As the [2020-21] year went on, we did just about everything we could to stay true to those goals at a time of great uncertainty, and as we go into this year we’ve got so much learning about how to handle schooling at such an uncertain time. But the uncertainty persists,” Burke stated. “One thing that we have learned over the past year is that the learning and students needs are typically met best when we’re able to come together as a community in one place.
“It’s very gratifying to me to see things progress… It may not be all that we hope, but we’ve come a long way in the past year. You have to sometimes look back to see how fortunate you are going forward.”
In the open comment segment of the meeting, Richard Reilly of Mattapoisett, who owns a local preschool, told the committee that the preschool had taken strict precautions since July but has had no cases. His research has resulted in a policy that only uses masking as a volunteer exercise for those feeling ill. In a large manufacturing business that he partly owns, he told the committee that the protocol has worked beautifully.
Another resident asked if parents opt out of testing at ORR, do their children go into quarantine.
Open comments and questions are not meant to be addressed on the spot.
The next meeting of the ORR Joint School Committee/Superintendency Union #55 will be held on Thursday, September 23, at 6:30 pm via Zoom.
ORR Joint School Committee / Superintendency Union #55
By Mick Colageo