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Date: 8/25/2021
SPRINGFIELD – Discussion revolved around the districts reopening plans for the upcoming school year at the Springfield School Committee’s Aug. 17 meeting.
With the Center of Disease Control (CDC) recommending universal indoor mask wearing for K-12 schools, Springfield Public Schools will adopt this policy throughout the school system, according to Nursing Department Head Jeanne Clancy’s presentation. The decision was made after the Department of Education and Secondary Education (DESE) announced requirements for full-time, in-person learning this academic year.
The district is also offering a virtual school with over 500 students currently enrolled between the K-12 grades. Chief Information and Accountability Officer Paul Foster said that the Parent and Community Engagement Center is actively enrolling students. Every student who applied for the process before the deadline have been approved, while students who submitted late are actively being admitted where there’s still space, according to Foster.
Administrators will be responsible for reinforcing all students and staff to adhere to the mask covering requirements. Clancy said that mask breaks will be continued from last year, with outdoor spaces being encouraged to allow for maximum social distancing. In classrooms, students will be required to maintain three-feet apart, while teachers are encouraged to keep six-feet apart from students and other staff, according to Clancy’s presentation. Chief Schools Officer Kimberly Wells also revealed that teachers will be required to have strict seating charts, which would allow for any possible exposures to be traced with the utmost accuracy.
Another key protective measure is vaccinations, with the mantra “trust the facts, get the vax [vaccine]” being a common talking point in Clancy’s presentation. For eligible students, consent forms will go out during the first week of school regarding in-school vaccinations. “COVID-19 vaccinations remain our priority for students 12 and older,” said Clancy.
According to Superintendent Daniel Warwick, the district will be partnering with Big Y to provide vaccination centers in every middle and high school. These centers will also be open for families to utilize if they have not been vaccinated. “Parents are the primary educators of their children…so it’s absolutely critical that parents are wrapped into our strategy,” said Commissioner of Health and Human Services Helen Caulton-Harris.
Mayor Domenic Sarno described the district’s effort as a “full-court press” to ensure maximum vaccinations for eligible citizens. “Our number one priority is [getting] shots in the arms [of citizens],” said Sarno. As the district looks ahead to the upcoming school year, the mayor said that Springfield’s thorough work has placed the district in a good place compared to other areas. “I think we’re in good shape going in…we’ve been ahead of the game,” said Sarno.
Still, the district remains proactive in addressing COVID-19’s ongoing changes “Decisions on prevention strategies will remain fluid as more information and data comes available,” said Clancy.