Danbury schools return to hybrid

DANBURY — The district has confirmed the dates for students to return to the classrooms on the hybrid model beginning next week.

The pre-kindergarten and elementary schools will return on Jan. 19, followed by the middle schools on Jan. 25 and the high school on Feb. 1. The district proposed these dates last month, but educators and health officials met last week to determine whether the plan was still safe.

“Our goal remains to get students and staff back in school safely,”

Superintendent Sal Pascarella said in a recent letter to families. “My leadership team is working with all of the schools to review reopening safety protocols, health precautions and strategies.”

With the exception of about 100 special education children, students have not been in the buildings since mid-March. The district was supposed to start on the hybrid model in the fall and then at the end of October, but then stayed on distance learning due to spikes in coronavirus cases.

Danbury plans to follow the latest guidelines that puts students and staff members on a 10-day quarantine in most cases if they are exposed to the virus. The district will contact trace to determine who were exposed to those who test positive.

“When we return, there is a strong potential for disruption, if transmission results in a class, cohort, grade, or school needing to quarantine,” Pascarella wrote. “This is a constantly evolving public health crisis, which may necessitate changes to our plans. If your child is attending in-person hybrid learning, please be prepared for a shift in the learning mode.”