Seniors’ input sought on CHS graduation plans

Canton High School Principal Derek Folan announced a more concrete year-ending plan for the Class of 2020 and set a May 7 date to gather input from seniors and stakeholders regarding their thoughts on graduation events.

In addition, School Committee members, meeting remotely on April 30, endorsed School Business Administrator Barry Nectow’s plans to provide refunds for bus, parking, and athletic user fees for the remainder of the school year and said they will examine possible tuition refunds for parents of preschool children at its next meeting on May 14.

Folan announced that the last week of school for seniors via remote learning will be May 18-22 and there will be no final exams between the period of May 26-29. That period will be designated to allow seniors to return books and materials, close out any unfinished academic business, complete any makeup work due to extenuating circumstances, and to lead all seniors on a path to receiving a diploma.

Folan said this year’s senior class is very special to him since he is leaving the school at the end of the academic year as he transitions to his new position of assistant superintendent for teaching and learning. This year’s seniors, he said, set new standards of achievement across all segments of education, including academics, music, theater and athletics. “They are a group of wonderful people with wonderful families,” he said, while stressing that the community needs to celebrate their achievements.

Folan said he hopes to announce a more concrete plan for graduation exercises after reaching out to seniors, senior class officers, teachers, administrators, and Canton public safety officers. He is awaiting results from a survey sent out to students and parents that asks them to identify graduation elements that are important to them. Folan said he recognizes that this may be the last time that students are able to see their classmates and teachers before pursuing new opportunities and he knows this is a special moment for parents.

School leaders OK user fee refunds

Nectow announced that he is giving parents of school bus riders the option of receiving an immediate refund of $105 or having that amount applied to next year’s bus fee of $300. He is hoping that parents choose the rollover decision in order to avoid the administrative costs of cutting 1,100 checks.

Nectow also reported that bus fee payments for next year will be due in two installments in case the COVID-19 pandemic causes a disruption in school openings. The first deadline for online applications is May 15 and Nectow said applicable invoices will be sent out by MySchoolBucks after the applications are received. Applications that are received after May 15 will incur a late fee of $50 per student. Applications received after June 12 will be processed, but bus passes for those students will not be available until October 1. For more information, email transportation@cantonma.org.

With the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on schools, committee members had asked Nectow to delay busing plans for 2020-21. But Nectow said the complications of setting bus routes necessitates advanced planning. “If there is no planning and we wait to September, there is no way we can do it,” he said. In a scenario where school hours had to be limited next fall, Nectow said there would be more practicality to conducting school every other day rather than conducting half-day sessions, which incurs double the transportation expenses.

Regarding student parking fees, Nectow said his office will be returning …

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Posted by Mike Berger on May 8 2020. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.