Update: Schools Hope To Transition To Full In-Person By April 19

BRANFORD, CT — At the Branford education board meeting last week, dozens of parents demanded the district, with the board and superintendent singled out, act swiftly on reopening schools. Or, at the very least, present a solid plan immediately for a return to full in-person classes after five months of hybrid learning.

Over the course of two hours, both in the intermediate school cafeteria and online, parents made their case claiming that the district was not being responsive when parents emailed, had not created a re-open plan, and were, at worst, negligent, with some parents calling for a vote of no confidence in the superintendent and, demanding the board act to reopen schools fully.

Schools superintendent Hamlet Hernandez said that he wanted schools reopened for full in-person as well but noted the plan must be carefully crafted and carried out.

When East Shore District Health Department director Michael Pascucilla provided data on COVID-19 spread in the community and pointed to "worrying" increases in cases, he was later questioned, or “cross-examined,” one member said.

Pascucilla supported Hernandez’ proceed-with-caution approach. But he was called out for supporting that direction while also supporting the East Haven Public Schools’ position to continue its full, in-person learning model, where parents could choose remote learning. Early on, a few hundred opted to have their kids do distance learning, but as case numbers in that district rose, more opted to go remote. By December, 600 students were remote learners. As of March 1, more than 800 are.

Pascucilla told the board and parents that moving too quickly to reopen was ill-advised since Branford is, he said, seeing “worrying” spikes in cases.

A special meeting was called for Wednesday night where the district is set to present its “BPS Decision-making Framework and Anticipated Timeline for Transition to Full In-Person Instruction Model” and parents have their chance to once again share their comments and concerns. Slated for 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Walsh Intermediate School on Damascus Road. The meeting will also be livestreamed. Visit the district homepage and click on "watch BOE meetings."

Hernandez sent a letter home to families Tuesday announcing a plan to open schools for full in-person by April 19, giving the district the month of March to get teachers vaccinated and follow COVID-19 data trends.

"Throughout this month," he wrote, "the district will coordinate, consult and communicate with (East Shore health) to determine the feasibility from a public health lens of our anticipated steps toward the goal of full in-person instruction by April. 19."

The plan calls for adding more in-person days over the course of the month of March with a hoped-for reopening after the April school vacation.

"With light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, we are excited about the upcoming weeks but cognizant of the fact that our measured framework may encounter unforeseen challenges," Hernandez wrote. "Should this occur, we will focus on maintaining a safe and sustainable learning model for our students."

What the health director says: "I feel your pain."

In an interview with Pascucilla Monday, he said he’d gotten many calls and emails from parents and hoped to explain further why he can support the efforts of towns with seemingly disparate potions.

“What I wanted to say to parents is ‘I feel your pain. We can’t wait for them to go back to school,’” he said speaking as a health director and a parent of a high school kid. “But every town is different. It’s not comparing apples to apples. Each town made its decision last summer and pivoting to another learning model must be done carefully and based on the data. And right now, it’s time to “put the brakes on.”

“We have some reason to pause,” he said. “I’m not saying we’re not doing it, but we must pause.”

Pascucilla said that while “things are starting to get better, there are still some things happening in Branford.”

Those things include an outbreak.

“While we’re talking, I’m working on an outbreak situation on an athletic team in Branford. Students that are ill. In quarantine unfortunately.”

He said that as of Monday, 32 students and four staff in Branford schools were in quarantine. And in North Branford, another 23 from an athletic team were also in quarantine as a result of positive cases. And he noted that Branford and North Branford were among the first towns to have a more contagious coronavirus variant show up last month. And, finally, he pointed to Branford being at around number 12 statewide when it comes to new case rates.

“That tells us while rates are going down, Branford is not going down at the same rate. It’s increasing,” he said. “We have people still getting ill.”

Last week, Pascucilla said, Branford had 38 positive cases and this week, 98 so far. And has a higher positivity rate - 4.3% - than the state average of 2.2%.

“We still have to be cautious,” Pascucilla said. “We have to do it slowly and carefully. We’ll get there.”