Swampscott Schools To Bring Students Back 5 Days In Phases

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Public Schools will bring more students back to the classroom five days per week in a phased approach after the school committee voted this week to allow 3 feet of social distancing in schools.

Swampscott Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis told Patch that kindergarten and first-grade students will be part of the initial plan, followed by grades 2 through 4.

"The school committee's vote this week to amend the social distancing requirement from 6 feet to as low as 3 feet is a key component of that plan," Angelakis said.

State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley said earlier this week that districts should look to eliminate hybrid-learning models like the one used in Swampscott and bring back all students full-time.

He said elementary schools should be back five days a week by April.

"At some point, as health metrics continue to improve, we will need to take the remote and hybrid learning models off the table and return to a traditional school format," Riley said.

Angelakis told Patch Swampscott plans to do so gradually.

"It is impractical to think we can turn on a switch and bring all students back at the same time," she said. "A thoughtful, phased approach will ensure that we are working toward following the directive of the DESE while continuing to place the health and safety of students and teachers at the top of our priority list."

While DESE guidelines call for at least 3 feet of social distancing, though 6 feet is preferred, many districts following Centers for Disease Control in August put 6 feet of distancing into the reopening agreements with local teachers' unions.

Riley said schools in other states and countries have found low transmission rates when social distancing protocols were "at 3 feet, or less."

Riley said that beginning in April he will seek authority to not allow hybrid learning hours outside of the classroom to count toward learning hours required each week. Students in remote-only learning programs will have the option to stay in those programs through the end of the school year.

"With COVID cases and hospitalizations continuing to decline, and vaccines well underway, it's time to set our sights on eliminating remote learning by April," Gov. Charlie Baker agreed on Tuesday. "The science is pretty clear on this one. There are now dozens of reports from all over the world that it's safe to be in school."

While Angelakis said she agreed with the objective of bringing all students back to the classroom full-time, logistically it will take time.

"We look forward to working in collaboration with the state as we address the issues that must be resolved in order to achieve our mutual goal of eventually returning to full in-person teaching and learning," Angelakis said.

Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch.

(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.)

More Patch Coverage: Salem Professor Helps Develop School Coronavirus Test Guidance

Expanding Classroom Learning May Mean Easing Social Distancing

MA Education Chief Wants To Bring Students Back To Classroom ASAP