More city students return to class this week

Younger pupils starting to go back

Nearly 8,000 more of Boston Public Schools’ 51,000 students will return to class this week under the district’s phased coronavirus plan.

Half of the pupils in grades K0 — 3-year-olds — to grade 3 will attend school on Monday and Tuesday, and the other 3,950 will go to school on Thursday and Friday, BPS spokesman Jonathan Palumbo said.

On Wednesdays, all schools are closed for deep cleaning beyond the disinfecting they go through on other days, Palumbo said, and on the days students aren’t in school, they’ll be learning remotely. Parents who don’t want their kids in schools are able to opt out of the in-person learning.

On Nov. 16, about 200 specialneeds students returned to the Carter School, the Dr. William W. Henderson K-12 Inclusion School, the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the William McKinley South End Academy.

On. Dec. 14, 1,700 students in various grades returned to 28 of the district’s 125 schools. And on Feb. 1, 4,900 students with disabilities and special needs returned to school.

At that time, Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang told the Herald she was worried about what she saw as a lack of safety verifications, including air quality analysis.

“They were hoping we’d be able to do air-quality tests before schools opened,” Palumbo said. “We’ve been working as diligently and quickly as we can to get it done. It will be done next week.”

Union members have gone on walk-throughs with school administrators to make sure classrooms have hand sanitizer, air purifiers, fans, open doors, and windows that are open slightly, he said, and teachers and staff have personal protective equipment.