School officials seek input on initial reopening models

The full version of this story appears in the July 23 print edition of the Citizen.

Canton School Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Fischer-Mueller and CPS administrators unveiled an initial draft of their fall school reopening plans during a lengthy and eventful remote School Committee meeting on Thursday, July 16.

Officials outlined four scenarios — one more than what is required by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) — and made a strong push for parent/guardian feedback via an anonymous online survey. A preliminary reopening plan must be submitted to DESE by July 31 and a comprehensive plan is due by August 10.

The School Committee will continue to meet weekly through August 6 and has scheduled a public listening session via Zoom on July 23 (today) from 6-7 p.m. (A link is available on the July 23 agenda at cantonma.org/school-committee.

Last Thursday’s three-plus-hour meeting covered the four initial reopening models as well as a summary of results from a parent and staff remote learning survey administered at the end of the school year. Fall plans for instruction, social distancing, facility modifications, transportation, and food services were all discussed. Left untouched were discussions of athletics and extracurricular activities.

Based on the results of the remote learning survey distributed on June 25, over 93 percent of respondents said they intended to send their child to school in the fall while nearly 57 percent said they planned to use the district-provided bus transportation. School Business Administrator Barry Nectow said he anticipates plans for one rider per seat under the new protocols.

Fischer-Mueller said given recent developments with COVID-19 and in light of the release of initial reopening models, she felt that another family survey was needed in order to gauge current sentiment and best plan for reopening in the fall. The survey was due to close at noon on Tuesday, July 21, and the results will be shared with the School Committee. The survey does not apply to the PreK level, which Fischer-Mueller said will require specific attention and development.

Overview of reopening models

The four reopening plans presented last week consisted of two in-person models — one with six feet of social distancing between students and one with 4.5 feet of social distancing. There was also a hybrid model with 50 percent in-person learning and 50 percent remote learning, as well as a full remote learning model.

The common denominator with the in-person and hybrid models is that every Wednesday would be a remote learning day to allow for enhanced cleaning of all school buildings and opportunities for educators to collaborate on instructional design and curriculum review. Also, in all of the in-person scenarios, students would eat in classrooms without masks while maintaining six feet of social distancing, leading to longer transition times for meal service.

The primary difference between the two full in-person models concerns the level of social distancing for students, which would impact class sizes as well as facility and personnel needs. In the six-foot model (1.1), average class sizes are projected at 14 for the elementary grades and 16 for GMS and CHS. All spaces would need to be reorganized and there would be “heavy” staffing needs, including 35 new teachers at the elementary level and 19 new full-time-equivalent positions at CHS with additional GMS needs still to be determined. There would also be a need for additional counselors, educational assistants, custodians and school aides.

In the 4.5-foot model (1.2), there would be average class sizes of 24 students at all levels, and while excess furniture and materials would need to be removed, there would not be a need for additional classroom space. There would still be moderate additional staffing needs (counselors, ed. assistants, custodians, aides).

In both of the full in-person models, hallway passing times would pose a particular challenge at the middle and high schools due to the high volume of students changing classes. Both models would also require three tiers of buses with two loops per tier, impacting start and end times.

In the proposed hybrid model, students would be divided into two groups and would alternate between in-person and remote learning with all students attending school two days per week (scheduling options vary). Having less students in school at one time would allow for smaller class sizes without the need for additional classroom space. There would also be less additional staffing needs and a traditional busing model of three tiers with one loop per tier. However, officials acknowledged that a hybrid structure would present challenges for families, particular with regard to scheduling child care during remote learning days.

In the final model, described as “Remote Learning 2.0,” all students would continue …

See this week’s Citizen for more information about the proposed reopening models as well as analysis of the CPS spring remote learning survey. Click here to order your subscription today.

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