New Haven BOE grapples with wait for final school reopening plan - CT Insider

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NEW HAVEN — Plans to make preparations for the safe reopening of schools hit a snag this week as the Board of Education is waiting to hear from state officials about whether it will be in compliance.

The school board agreed to hold a special meeting to discuss and decide what its plan would be for the fall, but by Wednesday a date had not been set for that meeting.

“We are waiting on a response from the state on our plan submission,” said Board of Education President Yesenia Rivera. “It will most likely fall between August 4 and August 11.”

New Haven Board of Education Finance and Operations Committee Chairwoman Yesenia Rivera on Jan. 7, 2020.

In March, New Haven school officials began crafting two contingency plans for reopening schools amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic: one that would be fully remote and online and another that would be “hybrid,” using a combination of in-person and distance learning to lower school occupancy while giving students live interaction with teachers. In June, Gov. Ned Lamont asked school districts to plan for a third option: five days per week of in-person instruction.

As New Haven school officials worked out the logistics for three plans — each addressing issues such as cleaning, transportation and meals under different conditions — parents and teachers began expressing unease.

At a mid-July school board meeting, high school teacher Nataliya Braginsky said the state guidance included multiple references to “feasibility” in its safety guidance and seemed to brush over how some safety precautions would be almost impossible to implement in urban school districts. Elementary school teacher Jessica Light said the school district should not remain in compliance with state orders if it would endanger students and teachers.

“Do not gamble my life on compliance,” she said

On July 24, the day school districts submitted their three plans to the state for review, New Haven Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey had an opportunity to tell Lamont and Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona directly that her planning team prefers a hybrid model to the five-day, in-person model pushed by the state. Then, hours before the board meeting this week, Lamont announced that districts would have an opportunity to choose their own plan.

New Haven Superintendent of Schools Iline Tracey addresses press on March 12, 2020 to discuss the city's decision to close schools indefinitely over COVID-19 concerns.

Board member Darnell Goldson said that, with less than six weeks until schools reopen, he still has questions.

“What happens with a child if they get sick at school and get sent home?” he said. “How are classrooms going to be cleaned? I don’t see how that is addressed. What is the timetable for us addressing these issues?”

Tracey said that, because the state created its own timeframe around reviewing district reopening plans and only hours prior gave school districts autonomy to decide on its own plan, district officials have been unable to present something to the school board. Her planning team, she said, still prefers a hybrid model where students are placed into two cohorts and alternate days learning in-person and from home.

However, the school board has not yet taken a vote on its final back-to-school plan.

“You don’t have a whole lot of time left” for the board to decide, Goldson said.

Board of Education member Darnell Goldson on March 2, 2020.

Rivera said she arrange for a special meeting, although she noted Wednesday that the state has not yet offered feedback on whether the plans submitted by the compy with state mandates.

Board member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur, a pediatrician, said, “We need to make sure we are as transparent as possible.”

She said parents currently have no idea what to expect.

“Parents want to know, are there going to be dry runs,” she said. “People are setting their kids up for the day and going to work. When is the rollout?”

Assistant Superintendent Ivelise Velazquez said parents should expect multiple training sessions held over Zoom to prepare them for the return to school.

When Jackson-McArthur asked whether the district could commit to providing staff and students with a new mask each week, Tracey said it was not included in the plan. Although COO Michael Pinto said the district had begun to “stockpile” personal protective equipment for use in case students or staff forget to bring a mask, Tracey said it would be a financial barrier.