The Mattapoisett School Committee voted on Monday night to approve a full, in-person return of school children in Grades K-2 effective at a date to be determined in January, 2021. The proposal and approval came late in a lengthy meeting of the committee that included heated public comments by frustrated parents.
“The concern about literacy started for our children who were in kindergarten and first grade in the spring, and they are presently our Grade 1 and Grade 2 students,” said Mattapoisett Schools Principal Rose Bowman, who together with Assistant Principal Kevin Tavares introduced a plan that identifies three large rooms in two Mattapoisett elementary schools.
Grade 1, as Bowman explained, can return to full, in-person learning while maintaining 6 feet of social distancing by using Center School’s Music Room, Library and Art Room. Grade 2 can do the same by using the large spaces in Old Hammondtown’s Instrumental Music Room, General Music Room and Library. A Powerpoint presentation detailed plans for each grade under the categories Facilities Impact, Staffing Impact, Associated Costs, and Impacts on school community.
“In order to do this … all of these decisions that have been brought forward maintaining the staff we presently have working. The costs that I have brought that would be additional are mainly tech,” said Bowman, the exception being a paraprofessional that would need to be brought aboard to support the schools.
A full-remote option will remain in place for parents of K-2 students, but Bowman said the hybrid model will no longer remain an option for those grades.
Old Rochester Regional Superintendent of Schools Mike Nelson reasserted that the 6 foot social distance is a part of that equation. Nelson said the close-contact definition will continue to influence district plans vis-a-vis the learning model. “This will be a big task for our facilities,” he said. “We’ll also need time to look at the food-service needs.”
Students in quarantine situations are also affected so preparation in all areas of school support systems makes waiting until mid-January necessary, said Nelson.
Member Shannon Finning told the meeting that she has received offers from parents to volunteer their services to offset budgetary impacts.
Early in the meeting, public comment began with a push in the direction that the meeting would ultimately go, albeit without the vitriol that entered in as the comments piled up.
Juliet Xifares, a nurse not working very much because she is spending her time as a hybrid-out teacher to her twin first-grade sons, began the discussion on reopening during the early stages of open comment.
“I would like to support the push to get our earliest learners back into school five days a week,” she said, adding that all four members of her family have tested positive for COVID-19 and that her seven-year-old Thomas had made two emergency-room visits and a trip to Boston Children’s Hospital.
“I still feel really strongly that our children should be in school five days a week. I don’t regret choosing the hybrid model (two in-days per week). I know that school really is one of the safest places for children. I know that my child did not get COVID-19 at school,” said Xifares. “I feel that it’s important because, as somebody who experienced this on a more significant level, I still feel strongly that our children deserve to be in school five days a week and that the benefits outweigh the risks in my opinion.”
Xifares believes that parents should decide which level of risk they want to take.
Alison Costa spoke, alluding to a request she emailed to the committee and to Nelson that the committee meet twice per week in an effort to accelerate an full in-person plan for the youngest school children. Costa cited Acushnet, Fairhaven and Westport as towns that have brought back their youngest learners. A local nurse practitioner said she recently received 55 calls from parents who had been referred to her practice because their children were suicidal, depressed and anxious.
Other parents offered harsher criticisms, one accusing the committee of representing the teacher’s union rather than the community. Chairman Jim Muse asked both Kearny Klein and Michael Kwoka to avoid personal attacks.
Sara Jacobson, a teacher at Old Hammondtown School, told the meeting attendees for clarification that Acushnet residents had just received a letter saying the town would return to full remote learning due to COVID-19. “We don’t have a community around us that has a perfect answer,” she said.
Stephanie Clarke said it’s very difficult to pose meaningful questions and said it’s been a month since Governor Baker changed regulations. “I’d like to think that we’ll come away from this meeting with an actionable plan,” she said.
Bowman commended all the children, their families and school staffs for their dedication and effort. “The collaboration amongst the teachers to provide grade-level opportunities has been strong,” she said.
Muse said the Mattapoisett School Committee received a complaint that was made by Stephanie Clark to the state’s attorney general about a violation of Open Meeting Law. “We will be responding within 14 days in writing as is mandated by the law,” said Muse, who said he shared the complaint with the committee as soon as he received notice. Member Shannon Finning asked when the 14 days expire. Muse said the 14th business day will have been marked on Tuesday, December 8. Clarke said the response was due on Monday, December 7. She continued to assert that Muse was sharing “bad information” and was muted because she had not been recognized in concert with the rules of public comment at the meeting.
Bowman said all Mattapoisett school students will break beginning December 24 and return on January 4, 2021. Bowman further indicated that a virtual open house is likely for the third week of January.
In other business, the Mattapoisett School Committee voted to approve a Tech Replacement fee schedule as proposed by Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Howie Barber.
The committee also appoint Wareham Pediatrics as Mattapoisett’s official school physician for the 2020-21 school year. Dr. Reynolds and Dr. Mendes, co-owners of Wareham Pediatrics, attended the meeting via Zoom. Both are Marion residents.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett School Committee was not scheduled at the time of the meeting.
Mattapoisett School Committee
By Mick Colageo