RIers Still Unsure About Back-To-School Safety: Patch Survey

PROVIDENCE, RI — It's back-to-school week, and Rhode Island families have a lot to say about it. Nearly half of those who responded to a Patch survey said they did not think the state was doing enough to keep students safe, while the majority of parents with children in school said they were reasonably confident in their safety while at school.

In total, 195 people responded to the informal Patch survey, two-thirds of whom said they were parents of a school-aged child.

The one thing most respondents agreed about was mask wearing: just over 83 percent said all students should be masked during the school day, while an additional 8.5 percent said only middle and high schoolers should be required. Just 8 percent said they did not believe that students should be masked during the school day.

Overall, the majority of respondents, nearly 52 percent, said they either strongly or somewhat approved of the state's response to school safety issues throughout the pandemic.

One parent voiced their concerns about the handling of priorities when it comes to reopening schools, saying "I'm not confident that my children will be safe as long as the focus is on money and not safety."

Another person, who said they were both a parent and a school employee, said they had not had any coronavirus related training, and that many questions remain unanswered.

"We are still waiting for PPE, we are expected to clean toys and surfaces but have had no training as to what cleaner we should use or what the best way to clean them is," they said. "The required distance between children depends on where we are and what we are doing. The kids are allowed to share and sit next to each other in some areas, but are supposed to stay 6 feet apart in line. I'm afraid to speak up because I truly love my job, but I'm also afraid if we don't get any training or the proper PPE soon someone will end up very ill, or worse."

Echoing these concerns, nearly half of respondents said they thought safety measures in schools — such as mask-wearing, distancing, cleaning and more — were not sufficient, either "somewhat" or "much" too loose.

"The lip service has been great, but the reality of what safety measures have been implemented in schools is a much different story," one person said. "My child is an 11th grader in Providence, and in many rooms in her school, windows don't open, there is poor air ventilation, and little to no soap available in many rooms. It was still unclear how and when desks would be cleaned between students, and who would be responsible."

Many parents said they chose to keep their children at home due to safety concerns, some saying they do not plan to allow them to return to classrooms until a vaccine is widely available. Others cited crumbling school infrastructure, an issue Gov. Gina Raimondo said has been an issue long before the pandemic struck.

"Gina needs to open up her pocketbook. Towns do not have enough money in the budget to provide all the mandated extra items," one person said.

"Unfortunately schools have been overcrowded for years," wrote another. "This creates even a larger issue when children are expected to now social distance. Many schools do not have the resources to allow this happen safely. I have not heard of any new hiring of teaching staff, or opening of old buildings that were once schools in order to help this along. Maybe if the government invested more money in better school systems this would not be the issue. We would have been able to open closed school buildings and have less children in the classroom."

Overall, more people who responded to the survey said they did not believe that the current safety measures adopted by schools were sufficient to keep the community safe. Just over 27 percent said they thought the safety protocols were enough, while just over a quarter had some level of uncertainty, and around 44 percent firmly said no.

"Opening schools is reckless endangerment of our most precious citizens, our children and our most valuable professionals, teachers," one person said. "Epidemiologists have stated time and time again the last part of our society to open during a pandemic is schools. RI is not following medical advise, the leaders are following the money and politicians. The Governor has shown her disregard for the common person. If my children were small they would not be going back to school. This is a serious health and safety concern that is blatantly being ignored to boost the economy."

Reopening RI schools: Read more

• 'RI Is Truly Back To School' | A Look At The First Few Days
• RI School Coronavirus Testing Program Now Open
• What To Expect Day-To-Day
• What A Positive Coronavirus Test Means
• RI Creates Separate Testing System For Schools
• 'Kids Belong In School' | RI Schools Green-Lighted For Sept. 14
• Low Childhood Vaccinations Poised To Be 'A Real Issue' In RI