Westport Board Of Ed Discusses Reopening Plan Thursday

WESTPORT, CT — With an eye toward bringing students back for in-person classes in the fall, the Westport Board of Education will discuss the district's reopening plan during a virtual meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, according to officials. To view the live stream of the hearing, click here.

The plan, which will be dictated by health conditions following the coronavirus pandemic, is not set in stone, but will be presented to state officials on Friday, said Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice in an email to parents on Wednesday.

"At this point in time, Governor Lamont’s expectation is that all Connecticut public school systems will begin the school year with full-time on-site schooling for all students," Scarice wrote. "The most impactful driver in this expectation is the low rate of coronavirus transmission currently in the state.

"Given the current virus transmission rates in our region, as well as additional calls to fully reopen our schools, most recently by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the Westport Public Schools are preparing to receive all students for on-site schooling in September. Although we are preparing to reopen schools for all students, we are committed to protecting the health and safety of our students and staff, and all decisions will be based on that criterion."

The plan to be presented to the state will include these three aspects, according to Scarice:

• On-site schooling for all students on a full-time basis
• A hybrid of both on-site and remote learning limiting the student population on school premises
• Complete remote learning in the event of a prolonged cancellation of on-site schooling

Parents also will be given the option of choosing a remote learning model for their children, if they want with no questions asked, Scarice said.

Additionally, Westport's plan discusses the following:

• Health and Safety
• Facilities and Operations
• Teaching and Learning
• Co-Curricular Programming