Hamden Delays Reopening Of Schools

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden Public Schools will delay the reopening of schools until Sept. 15, following a vote by the Board of Education on Tuesday night. Hamden had been scheduled to open on Sept. 8, but the school board voted to delay the reopening due to concerns over staffing shortages.

Tuesday night’s meeting lasted more than four hours and delaying the reopening of schools was “not an easy decision,” according to officials.

“To be clear: No one on the Board of Education and no one on the district administration team wanted to delay reopening,” officials wrote in a statement on Facebook. “What they DID want was to ensure that when schools do open, our students have the teachers and other staff in place so that classes and other school routines operate well. The delay until September 15 will allow the district to work through most if not all of the very complex personnel matters (many of which have legal implications) to make this happen.

“All new safety structures are in place in our buildings. Teachers are busy learning the new technology tools and structures needed to reopen in a hybrid model. We are all anxious to get students back to school, and thank our community for their patience as we resolve the remaining issues for a positive reopening of schools.”

Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler said the district has no issues with bringing students back to school, but they need to make sure they have the necessary staff in place, according to the Hartford Courant.

The Courant reports about 100 employees have asked about taking leaves and modifications generally related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Read more at the Hartford Courant here.

For more information about Hamden’s plan to reopen schools, visit here.