Newport Prepares For In-Person School Starting Aug. 31

NEWPORT, RI — With the projected first day of school in Rhode Island just a few weeks away, Newport school officials are hard at work getting the city's schools ready for mostly in-person instruction in the fall.

"We want our entire Newport Public Schools community to know that protecting the health and safety of our students, parents, teachers, and staff is the number one priority of our Reopening Plan," Superintendent Colleen Burns Jermain said. "We are following all RIDE, RIDOH, and Centers for Disease Control guidance related to cleaning, sanitization, and maintaining social distancing wherever possible to minimize the risks of community spread. Another key element is flexibility to quickly react to changing conditions, and that’s why the plan outlines three reopening scenarios: full in-person, partial, and limited reopening. We know our community has many questions about the Reopening Plan and the start of the school year. That’s why we’re urging people to read the plan, and why we will be hosting virtual parent and community forums and regularly communicating updates via our website and social media channels."

Tuesday night, the district held a community forum to address the questions and concerns of families, students and other members of the community. The full meeting is available to watch online. Another meeting is scheduled for Aug. 13, followed by Aug. 19, expected to follow Gov. Gina Raimondo's official decision about school reopening.

On Wednesday, the district released two forms for families, to help determine how many students plan to take the bus to school and come to school. Although the current plan is a mostly in-person return to classes, each family has the right to decide whether they would prefer in-person learning, or to find their own form of transportation.

The district asked families who are still unsure if they're comfortable sending their kids back to school to default to in-person learning, and follow the same guidance for buses if there's a possibility their child will take the bus. Parents will have the opportunity to change their decision and choose distance learning if they are uncomfortable with the governor's final decision at any time, even after in-person learning begins.

"This way our schools will be ready facilities wise for classrooms and staffing, and our transportation routes will start to be put in place for the quick turnaround for August 31," Jermain said.

Families who plan to send students back to in-person class do not need to fill out a form. The distance learning request must be filled out for students who wish to learn from home, while the bus form must be completed to allow the school to create safe, effective routes.

Newport's full reopening plan details the district's approach to in-person learning, with individual teams created to tailor safety plans to each school. While the district plans for an in-person return to class on Aug. 31, it could change at any time due to the evolving situation with the coronavirus pandemic.

The plan breaks down face mask requirements for students, staff and visitors, social distancing and the movement of teachers to reduce student movement and maintain stable groups, how schools will handle outbreaks of the virus that crop up, cleaning protocols and more.

"As our preparation for the coming school year evolves, living with COVID-19 has taught us that our reentry plans must be flexible, fluid, and nimble to allow continued learning for our students as events change," Jermain wrote in the superintendent's message. "Our teachers, students, staff, and families will need continuous support now and throughout this year with professional development and resources to meet their needs."