Swampscott Schools' 'Goal' To Have Students Full Time By April 12

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Swampscott Public Schools has set a goal to have all students enrolled in in-classroom learning back in school full days five days per week by April 12 in a plan Superintendent of Schools Pamela Angelakis outlined to the school committee.

Noting that Swampscott is "moving faster than the state is requiring," Angelakis said the return plan is both "very purposeful and cautious."

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a directive last Friday that all elementary school students should be offered full-day in-classroom learning as of April 5 and middle school students as of April 28. The high school return mandate has not been determined.

Preschool students and Swampscott High School students will return to the classroom full days five days per week as of March 29. Kindergarten and first-grade students will return from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. with teachers available via Zoom until 1:15 p.m. Students in grades 2 through 8 will remain in the hybrid model that week.

On April 5, kindergarten through fourth-grade students will be in school full-time five days a week. Angelakis said "the goal" is to have all students in grades five through eight back in school full time on April 12.

Families that want to have their students in fully remote learning will have that option through the end of the school year, however, Angelakis notes that the state is mandating that districts shift their focus to in-person learning for the rest of the academic year.

A survey will be going out to all Swampscott families this week where they will be asked whether they want their students fully remote or fully in-classroom.

While social distancing will be lowered from 6 feet to 3 feet in some instances, the state requires that 6 feet of distancing must be given when students are eating. To help monitor lunch breaks, mask breaks and other duties the district is unable to cover because of staffing issues, the district this week solicited parent and community volunteers.

Angelakis said as of Wednesday there had been 24 volunteers.

The district is also attempting to shift as much classroom time outside as possible through the purchase of portable seating (which also replaces the table seating previously used in some classrooms) and tents that will be delivered as of March 29.

Angelakis said that while the majority of teachers will return to the classroom full-time, those with medical conditions that make them unable to return until they are vaccinated will not.

"We will not be flipping a switch, and suddenly all teachers with medical accommodations will be back in their classrooms on a random date," she said. "It will be a rolling return."

She said vaccination dates will be monitored for staff who remain out of the buildings, but no one will be forced back in the classroom if they are medically advised it is not safe for them to do so without a vaccination.

"This is their right," she said. "This is the law. This is what we're following."

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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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