Families Must Opt Out Of In-Person School By Next Week

Larchmont-Mamaroneck, NY— Mamaroneck school officials have given families with school-age children only a few days before they must commit to sending their kids back to school full time or instead opting for full time remote learning. The requirement to provide written declaration of those intentions comes after Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert I. Shaps wrote a letter to parents this week announcing that the hybrid remote/in-person learning schedule currently in place will be dropped beginning on April 8th.

"It is almost one year since our students spent a full school day in one of our buildings," Dr. Shaps wrote the letter dated March 3rd. "We are all excited to have them back together, but also recognize there will be an adjustment. We will prioritize the social-emotional well-being of all of our learners, and teachers and staff will be helping students with the adjustment."

Families still have the option of continuing with an entirely remote instruction schedule, students and guardians will be required to make a binding decision about thier preferences in the upcoming days. Pupils at the district's middle school and elementary schools must have their decisons on file by Thursday, March 11. High school students, however, will need to have their choices on record by this Tuesday. Students will need to complete the online forms whether they choose to take advantage of in-classroom learning or opt for an entirely online classroom experience.

Although the tight deadline is fast approaching, families who need it will have some upcoming help with the decision. On Monday, March 8, a series of virtual parent forums will shed additional light on the plans for a transition to in-person instruction. A public forum for parents of elementary school-age children will take place from 6-6:45 pm. A later forum for secondary grades will kick off at 7 pm. Both meetings will be broadcast on Youtube, public access cable channels and will be simulcast on the LMC Media website.