Published July 15, 2020
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Wakefield has joined 128 other cities and towns in Massachusetts in passing a resolution insisting that the state must guarantee full reimbursement to school districts for whatever COVID-19 expenses they incur as a result of following state mandates for re-opening schools in the fall.
The School Committee voted unanimously last night to pass the resolution, which will be sent to Governor Charlie Baker, Education Secretary James Peyser, Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley, Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Joint Education Committee Co-Chair Jason Lewis and Joint Education Committee Co-Chair Alice Peisch.
The resolution reads:
“WHEREAS, if schools are to re-open this fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the responsibility of each school district to do so safely and responsibly; and
WHEREAS, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure that each school district is able to pay for the enormous additional staffing, transportation and material expenses required to do this; and
WHEREAS, the state cannot expect mandatory COVID-19 safety guidelines to be followed without also ensuring that each school district has the funds required to implement these guidelines; therefore, let it be
RESOLVED: that the state must guarantee every school district full reimbursement for whatever COVID-19 expenses are required to follow state mandates.
We must ensure a statewide school re-opening that is safe, responsible and equitable.
THERE CAN BE NO UNFUNDED MANDATES FOR COVID.”
Also at last night’s meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kara Mauro discussed the ongoing local planning process for re-opening schools in the fall.
She reminded the School Committee that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is requiring every district to create three education plans for September, including a plan for in person instruction with physical distancing, a hybrid of some students learning in person and some learning remotely, and a plan for distance (virtual) learning only.
School districts must submit their plans to DESE by July 31.
Mauro said that she and Superintendent Doug Lyons have met with all school principals and directors to discuss planning for the fall. She added that it was not enough to develop just districtwide plans. Each school building is different, she noted, so each school staff is working to develop its own individual re-opening plans.
She said that the schools have been asked to first develop a plan for a full, in-person re-opening and then work back to the hybrid and distance learning plans. Today the administration will have its first check-in meeting with each of the school leadership teams. Mauro said that the District Crisis Team has also been brought into the loop in case any red flags or areas of concern come up.
School Committee member Thomas Flynn asked if all the Wakefield schools will go with the same plan, or might there be some variation.
Mauro said that the goal was to keep things as consistent as possible across the district. School Committee member Chris Callanan observed that there could be equity questions if the schools were not all operating under the same plan.
In response to another question, Mauro said that as of now, the plan is for Sept. 8 to be the first day of school, although she said that could change depending on future developments and directives from the state.
Mauro also acknowledged that there were areas of concern that surfaced last spring regarding the remote learning model. She said that those issues would be addressed during the planning process.
School Committee member Colleen Guida asked about technical preparations for remote learning in the fall. Mauro said that Zoom licenses are being purchased for all school staff.
School Committee member Michael Boudreau asked when the final plans would be available to the committee.
Mauro said that DESE wants to see them by July 31 and districts have been advised not to announce final plans until early August.
School Committee member Thomas Markham said that the local districts won’t know anything until DESE reviews the plans. He expressed full confidence in the school administrators ability to handle the process.
“At this point,” he said, “this is a matter for the professional educators.” He noted that the School Committee will have the final say on whatever plans are developed.
Mauro assured the School Committee that school administrators and teachers who are working on the re-opening plans are making themselves accessible to parents as much as possible.
She also noted that there is some sharing going on among school districts as they develop re-opening plans, so there is collaboration on that level as well.
