WORCESTER – The Worcester Public Schools system has updated its plan to reopen schools.
The plan will be presented in an informational session during a virtual public forum on Thursday, August 6. The proposed plan is available for review here.
The proposed plan calls for schedules based on each students’ need for specially designed instruction. While the majority of the students will start the school year with 100% remote learning, another group of students will take part in in-classroom instruction four out of the five days of the week.
According to a report from Spectrum News 1, the first 10 weeks of the school year will be full remote learning with a gradual move to hybrid learning beginning in the winter.
The hybrid model after remote learning calls for a return to the schools for one day of in-classroom learning for the students that start the year at full remote [Groups A and B]. The other group of students — Group C — will remain on the four out of days of in-classroom learning schedule.
Due to the size of each classroom, the lack of ventilation systems in some older school buildings and the lack of space needed for social distance on school buses, the decision to facilitate full remote learning was a necessary one in order to follow the state’s COVID-19 safety guidelines.
In regards to HVAC and ventilation, the schools will remove all basement classrooms without windows or adequate ventilation out of service until further notice. The removal of these classrooms also limits the space in some schools. WPS says upgrades will be made at schools between now and December 2020 to improve ventilation.
Students in grades K through 6 will attend classrooms remotely from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Middle school students will sign in for remote instruction from 9 AM to 3:30 PM with extra-help available until 4:10 PM.
High school students will begin classes remotely at 7:20 AM and will end their day at 1:43 PM.
Plans to transition from full remote to hybrid [remote and in-classroom learning] will be communicated to parents ahead of time and will depend on the state’s guidance, the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, a collective bargaining agreement with the teachers’ union and available federal and state funding.
School starts Tuesday, September 15.
More information about the upcoming school year will be presented at the virtual meeting on Thursday. Fore more information, click here.
