In-person learning to return in April
BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Public Schools will return to full in-person learning next month, more than a year since the COVID-19 pandemic forced school districts to go remote.
In a letter to the district’s students, families and staff, Superintendent Michael Testani announced on Monday that all students may return to school buildings on April 19 four days a week. Remote learning will continue for the remainder of the academic year for students with health conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19 complications.
Wednesdays will also continue remotely for all students with scheduled professional development for the rest of the school year.
High school students and certain cohorts in the younger grades already have the option of full inperson learning. Now, all elementary and middle school students will also have the option.
The next step in reopening comes as school districts across southwestern Connecticut open their doors to students and their teachers for full-time instruction. It also coincides with the rollout of coronavirus vaccines to educators, who became eligible for the first jab on March 1.
“We’re excited to get our students back in a more regular and familiar schedule,” Testani told parents and teachers at a board meeting Monday.
In the letter, the district cited declining positivity rates and increased vaccine distribution, as well as students’ and staff ’s emotional well-being, as grounds for a full reopening.
Students who wish to continue learning from home can continue to do so through synchronous instruction on Microsoft Teams, though school officials would like most to return.
“We really want to encourage the families of our remote learners at some point to give the opportunity to come into buildings for their children,” said Testani, “so we can start seeing their faces, we can start assessing their needs, and really put some strong programs in place as we move forward throughout the summer and into the ’21-22 school year.”
The superintendent disclosed that students may at times be less than six feet apart, but other mitigation strategies, the reduced positivity rate and widespread vaccine distribution make these shorter distances possible.
The district has made substantial progress inoculating all teachers and school staff who wish to be vaccinated. Last week, it distributed first jabs at a closed vaccination site for Bridgeport educators.
“We are happy to report that we vaccinated already at our own site over 400 staff members,” said Testani. That number is an under-count, considering it does not include educators who secured appointments on their own or as part of a previously eligible group based on age.
More than 600 staff members are scheduled for the vaccine this Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., when schools will be closed for professional learning. By the end of the day, more than a third of school staff will have received a first dose through the district’s clinic. Officials do not know at this time how many more educators got inoculated on their own.
Bridgeport Public Schools previously considered a full return to inperson learning on April 5. But after consulting with health officials on Monday, the district pushed that date to after spring vacation.
“It’s only going to be one week (of learning), and in that week we’re going to be administering second doses for folks,” said Testani. “So we’re going to push back our full reopen to the week of April 19, right after the April spring break.”
“At that point, all our folks will receive both doses of their vaccination, and it’ll be almost two weeks after the second dose,” said the superintendent. “So they’ll be pretty much covered and protected when they return back to work.”
At Monday’s board meeting, Testani reflected on the opportunity to return fully in person after what he called “an extremely challenging year.”
“Friday will mark one year since Bridgeport Public Schools closed their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “We thought it would be a short-term closure and a return to school. Unfortunately, we’re going into one calendar year, and the impact that’s been felt across the district on students, on staff, on families, is immeasurable.”
“It’ll be good to start that healing process,” he said.