'Kids Belong In School' | RI Schools Green-Lighted For Sept. 14

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island schools will reopen Sept. 14, Gov. Gina Raimondo confirmed Monday. Schools are encouraged to take a staggered approach to reopening, with the goal of having all students back in classrooms by Oct. 13, she said.

"You have the green light to open Sept. 14 for full, in-person school and it is our expectation that is what you will do," Raimondo said.

All districts in Rhode Island, except Providence and Central Falls, met the five benchmarks needed to safely allow students back in classrooms, Raimondo said. The five readiness benchmarks are: statewide metrics, municipal metrics, testing, supplies and operations.

"There is no such thing as risk-free in the world, in anything," Raimondo said. "What we need to do is reduce the risk."

One of the greatest recent victories has been in testing, Raimondo said, with the average turnaround time for results dropping to 48 to 72 hours, down from nearly a week several weeks ago. The state will take charge of testing, contact tracing and case investigations, and has 10 rapid-testing machines ready for use in schools.

"We know children will test positive," Raimondo said. "We know people who work in the schools will test positive. We are prepared for it."

All districts have had their reopening plans thoroughly reviewed by the Rhode Island Department of Education, Raimondo said, and will be inspected by professionals for facility readiness before students can return to classrooms. Private schools, which are not bound by municipal metrics, are all to reopen immediately, since the other four benchmarks were met and reopening plans were approved.

"If we go through and find it's not up to snuff, we will not allow that school to open," Raimondo said.

Two districts, Providence and Central Falls, were unable to meet the 100 cases per 100,000 benchmark, and therefore could not be approved for a fully in-person reopening. Providence was right on the cusp at 100 cases per 100,000 people, while Central Falls was slightly higher at 114 cases per 100,000 people. Both districts will be reevaluated by the Department of Health the week of Oct. 13 to see if the numbers have improved. Pawtucket, meanwhile, has seen vast improvement in past weeks, and passed with flying colors at just 56 cases per 100,000 people.

"Now isn't forever," Raimondo said, adding that she expected Providence to be approved at this time, but is unsure about Central Falls.

This doesn't mean students in Providence and Central Falls will be learning completely from home. Instead, the districts will have to reopen with a hybrid approach, with a focus on getting younger students, who have fared worse in distance learning, and other student who need in-person learning more back into classrooms.

Districts are encouraged to take a staggered approach to reopening over the next four weeks, prioritizing transitional grades, including sixth and ninth grades, and younger students.

"It is our expectation that all kids are back in school by Oct. 13," Raimondo said.

Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Greene said education remains her top priority, and that her department is balancing that objective with safety during the pandemic.

"Our goal is to overcome the virus," she said. "It won't be easy. But there is no other option for our students ... We have to make sure our kids get a quality education no matter what it looks like."

The governor encouraged districts that already voted to take a fully distanced approached to reopening to reconsider, saying that she expects parents to take legal action if students have no opportunity to return to the classroom.

"It not clear that the state has the authority to force a district [to open in person]," Raimondo said. "I am hopeful that some of the school committees will do the right thing and reverse their decisions."

Raimondo again reminded parents that schools will look different this year. Under no circumstance can children go to school when ill, even if they are just a little sick. Instead, distance learning will be used when students are home sick, and will allow for continued education on snow days.

Although there are many variables that are still unknown, Raimondo said she is confident that reopening will go well, thanks in part to the diverse, female team running the state's coroanvirus response.

"I think we're the only state where this entire effort is run by moms, and I think that's part of the reason it's going so well," Raimondo said. "I think it makes us a little more aware of what's going on, on the ground."

Patch editor Scott Souza contributed to this report.