Holliston Schools Taking Steps To Bring Students Back

HOLLISTON, MA — A new Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education plan was announced on Tuesday that could require elementary students to return to in-person learning full time — Holliston Public Schools said they have been hitting and moving toward this target since September.

Holliston Superintendent of Schools Susan Kustka said students in grades K-3 have been back in schools five days a week since mid-September. The district has a goal of bringing all students back once conditions are safe, but Kustka said there are still issues to work through.

"Lunch is an area of concern as students are unmasked and this requires the six feet of distance that we have in place currently, but space for lunch at six feet will be a problem," Kustka said.

Education department Commissioner Jeff Riley said he plans to ask the state education board to amend regulations to give him the authority to determine when the hybrid and remote learning models no longer count for learning hours. It would all be part of a plan to bring students back in-person by the spring, using a phased approach, starting with the youngest students.

Jamie Cutone, President of the Holliston Federation of Teachers said the union is looking forward to more information from Riley and the state and stressed that mitigation efforts and education must be prioritized.

Cutone also stressed that the successful decision to bring K-3 students back safely was a collaborative one between administrators and teachers and that more decisions in the future should hold the same collaboration.

"We look forward to the day when we can have all of our students in person; deepening our relationships with students in our classrooms is what brings us joy. The questions are when and how. The details of Commissioner Riley’s plans will be forthcoming and as a district, we must evaluate the details of the plan against the parameters we face in Holliston. Education must be prioritized at every level in order to do this. Vaccinating school staff immediately, funding pooled testing, and supporting districts with limited resources needs to be thoughtfully and expeditiously put into place, starting at the state level. Any directive to have all students in-person without these measures falls short in prioritizing education and minimizing the risk of transmission.

Our current mitigation strategies seem to be effective in Holliston. Air purifiers are operating in each classroom space, 6 feet of physical distance is maintained indoors, all persons wear face coverings except when eating, and the buildings are sanitized daily. All of these strategies contribute to creating an environment where we have seen minimal transmission of COVID-19. Any change to our plan will require a close analysis of mitigation strategies against the increased risk to our students and staff. We look forward to working with Holliston administrators on a safe plan to have all of our students in person every day," Cutone said in a statement.