NEWBURYPORT — The city’s public schools will continue remote learning through April break next week following a unanimous vote by the School Committee via Zoom on Monday night.
“We’re starting to see the structure and consistency with the remote learning plans that are going on,” said Superintendent Sean Gallagher, explaining that it wouldn’t make sense to break up that rhythm.
The district will shut down for Patriots’ Day on April 20, but return to remote learning plans April 21-24. With remote learning continuing through the break, the district’s proposed last day of school would be June 18 instead of June 24.
Prior to the meeting Monday, the district spoke with faculty, staff and the teachers union about the idea. In a survey, 89% of the teachers union voted in favor of working through the break. In addition, the School Committee received about 40 emails from parents with the overwhelming majority favoring the continuation of remote learning.
Mayor Donna Holaday emphasized the importance of staying home and hoped this vote would encourage that. Holaday said she is in constant communication with Anna Jaques Hospital and officials believe that COVID-19 cases will reach their peak next week.
“I think the worst thing we can do in the height of the surge, which will be next week, is to not have structure for kids at home and to have the potential of kids leaving the home and being outside,” Holaday said. “We need everyone to be in their homes next week. It’s absolutely critical.”
Committee member Brian Callahan said a parent asked him if there would be a summer school option, especially if a student isn’t adjusting smoothly to remote learning. Gallagher said there were no immediate plans, but it isn’t out of the question.
“It’s definitely something we are going to be talking about,” Gallagher said. These are the type of questions the district must consider over the next few weeks, he explained. The district is preparing for the possibility that schools may remain closed for the remainder of the year.
“We hope to be back May 4 with this past us, but the reality is showing something a little different,” Gallagher said. “So, we need to prepare for a longer closure. If we prepare and it doesn’t happen, at least we were prepared.”
Another committee member, David Hochheiser, said he wants to make sure families who may be struggling are taken into account. Though the committee received a lot of emails, it doesn’t make up a large percentage of the district, he said. There were at least three or four people who wanted to keep the break.
“We have to keep a path for people who aren’t having an easy time with this,” Hochheiser said, “and to remind them that the point here is not to stress them out or to make it impossible for them to do their jobs.”
Gallagher agreed, saying that he encourages students and families to reach out to teachers, principals and administrators. If a student is struggling, he said the district could offer modified assignments, an individualized plan or a break from the pressure.
“Even in the best scenario, this is a health crisis,” he said. “In the back of all of our minds is the anxiety of the unknown. For some of our students or some of our families, that anxiety, that worry could be having an impact.”
Committee member Steven Cole was absent for the vote.
