Peabody Public Schools Pushes Back Full-Day Return 2 Weeks

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Public Schools pushed back the return of all students to full-day, in-classroom learning two weeks in a plan the school committee approved Tuesday night.

The delay is intended to give teachers and school staff additional time to arrange for coronavirus vaccinations ahead of the return.

"It has long been a priority for our district to help our teachers access the vaccine once eligible and part of that commitment means pushing back this timeline slightly," Superintendent of Schools Josh Vadala said.

Elementary students are now expected back in the classroom five days a week on March 29, with the remaining students back on April 7. The original plan approved two weeks ago called for a March 15 return for younger students and a March 29 return for older students.

Students and families who would like to stay in fully remote learning will have the option to do so through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Hybrid learning, which has been used since Sept. 16., will be suspended.

The district said the revised dates were determined through negotiation with the Peabody Federation of Teachers.

“It's not lost on us how significantly these transitions and timelines impact our staff, students and families, and we're deeply thankful for the continued patience and understanding of everyone in our district as we work toward the goal of reopening school buildings," Vadala said. "Our teachers have worked tremendously hard this year and we are fortunate to have such dedicated staff, who care very much about the academic growth and social-emotional wellbeing of their students."

The district said the delay will also allow the district time to work out the logistical return while maintaining coronavirus protocols and as much physical distancing as possible, as well as for parents to work out their new schedules after students were in a hybrid learning plan the past six months.

The district noted that the timeline is still ahead of the state Department of Secondary and Elementary Education mandates that elementary students return by April 5 and middle school students return five days by April 28.

Educators are currently eligible for the vaccine through the federal pharmacy program and will be eligible to make appointments through the statewide rollout as of Thursday.

"The district remains committed to helping teachers access the vaccine in the most seamless way possible," Vadala said, "and will continue to share any and all information available about the sites and resources available publically to seek out an appointment once they become available."

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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.)

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