Marblehead Schools To Develop Expanded In-Classroom Learning Plan

MARBLEHEAD, MA — A Marblehead Public Schools leadership team will spend the upcoming vacation week developing a plan to potentially bring back students for more classroom time through easing the social distancing requirements that have been in place amid the coronavirus health crisis.

Marblehead Superintendent of Schools John Buckey said with the town Board of Health's advisement that 6 feet of social distancing is a "recommendation" — and not a mandate — it gives the district flexibility to consider lowering that distance inside schools to allow for additional students in classrooms at the same time.

"We heard from parents and a student who expressed what so many of us feel — the fatigue and despair associated with the seemingly unending nature of this pandemic, and the toll it's taking on us all," Buckey said in a letter to the school community on Tuesday. "As I have said many times, there is nothing I'd love more than to get our children back to school. It has to be done safely, though.

"With (the social distancing) piece now more flexible, I felt that we should begin an earnest process to return learners to more time in classrooms."

The School Committee authorized Buckey and school principals to develop the plans to "bring our students back at lower distancing levels and full in-person."

According to the state Department for Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines from August: "DESE's guidance, in consultation with medical experts and state health officials, advises that schools allow for a minimum of 3 feet, and ideally 6 feet of physical distancing whenever possible. This, in combination with other safety measures, will minimize transmission."

The guidance goes on to say that students should be at least 6 feet apart during meal breaks when they are eating and drinking.

Buckey said there have been preliminary conversations with the Marblehead Education Association about the possibility of returning kindergarten and first-grade students more days, which would require flexibility on social distancing, and that he felt "they were amenable to this." He clarified that those discussions were part of a "renegotiation" with the teachers' union on the district's return-to-classroom protocols.

He also clarified that posts on social media that these changes will take place right after February vacation were inaccurate and unfortunate.

"While we — administrators, teachers, parents and students — would love it to be that simple, it is not," he said.

The district plans to move "as quickly as we possibly can" to develop the plans and determine their feasibility. He said the intention is to present a plan to the School Committee for "consideration, support and approval" as soon as possible after vacation week.

"I appreciate your patience, as this is quite complex, and we want to do it safely and correctly," he said.

The initial goal is to try to bring back kindergarten and first-grade students to the classroom five days a week with four hours of in-person instruction per day.

"Some classrooms will be able to maintain close to 6-feet distancing where others might not," he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release new guidelines for returning to the classroom as soon as this week.

Buckey added there is no target date yet for this to begin.

Once the plan is developed, it will be communicated to families and they will have a choice whether to place students in expanded in-classroom learning with reduced social distancing or switch them to fully remote learning.

Buckey said once the kindergarten and first-grade students have returned five days a week, the district will turn its attention to returning older grades — with middle and high school presenting additional challenges.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)