Bethel Drafts Plan To Reopen Schools

BETHEL, CT — The school district has released a draft of its plan to reopen public schools following their shuttering at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

In her preface to the new document, "Reopening Our Schools 2020," Bethel Schools Superintendent Christine Carver describes it as a "beginning framework." In it, she contrasts the minimum requirements dictated by the Connecticut State Department of Education with the district's often more stringent and conservative approach.

The CSDE expects all districts to begin the school year with full in-classroom participation, unless health conditions dictate otherwise. Nevertheless, the state required schools to detail three phases of operation in their plans. Phase 1 was to be "classroom normal," and assumes a minimal risk of infection. Phase 2, to be implemented if health conditions deteriorate, is a hybrid of in-person schooling and distance -learning. Phase 3 would be 100 percent student participation in remote education.

In Bethel's draft plan, Phase 1 and 2 are interconnected. In that first phase, parents have the option of an in-person model or a distance learning model. In the final phase, all students shift to a distance learning model. Transitions from one phase to the next would be based on health indicators and guidance from state and local health officials.

The remote learning in Bethel will be a mix of synchronous learning (live instruction) and asynchronous learning (online instruction), according to the draft. During synchronous learning, Bethel High School and Bethel Middle School will follow their bell schedule while Johnson, Rockwell, and Berry Schools will create a regular schedule communicated to students and families. During synchronous learning, teachers will be providing direct instruction and feedback to students using Zoom.

Special education, intervention, and services for the district's English Learners will be provided through synchronous learning on a designated schedule, either individually or with an in-person small group and/or other students on distance learning, according to the document.

Bethel schools' plan emphasizes grouping students by the same cohort so each team functions independently as much as possible. Cohorts will be developed to balance class size, special populations, and bus routes. Families will be prioritized to stay in the same cohort, so each team functions independently as much as possible.

Half of the student population will attend school in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the other half will learn from home those days. Thursdays and Fridays, the groups switch locations. All students will be learning remotely on Wednesdays. That will also give the schools the opportunity to perform a thorough cleaning.

Bethel will follow the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for physical distancing, placing student desks between 3-6 feet apart, facing in the same direction. Based on these guidelines and removal of excess furniture, most classrooms in all schools can accommodate between 24-25 desks, according to the draft. Science labs will also place students 3-6 feet apart, faced in the same directions. Additional desks will be brought in as needed.

Officials will inspect building ventilation systems regularly to ensure they are operating properly prior to school opening, according to the draft. Windows will be kept open when possible and feasible. At Bethel High School, where a central ventilation system is not used, air conditioning units will be adjusted to maximize fresh air intake into the system, and blower fans will be set on low speed and pointed away from room occupants to the extent possible. All electric hand dryers will be turned off or blocked from use due to ventilation consideration.

Meal service will vary by grade level. Breakfast will be either "grab and go" from the café or kiosk at elementary schools and high school; middle school will serve in the cafeteria; and lunches will be delivered to the classrooms PreK-8 and will be picked up from the cafeteria in high school by cohort groups. For students who are distance learning but choose to obtain a school meal, the high school will serve as the central pickup by car location for all students in all schools. There will be a 90-minute window for pickup.

Students will be required to cover their face except while eating, drinking, during physical education, or when students are outside, and effectively practicing social distancing, according to the draft plan. Exceptions may also be necessary for certain special education students or other special populations.

If a student is determined to have been directly exposed (less than six feet away for more than 15 minutes, with or without a mask) to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 they will be removed from and not allowed in school until a 14-day quarantine has been completed.

Parents can expect to be surveyed this month so the district can properly plan for the resumption of classes. Key questions will involve an assessment of the number of students expected to attend, and whether parents plan to transport their children. That data will inform the bus schedule and routes. The school district is encouraging parents to transport their children to schools, and will be providing back-up masks for those who do not.

See the draft of the district's reopening plan for more details. The state has set July 24 as the deadline for submission.