School reopen plan draws parent, teacher opposition

NEW MILFORD — Parents and teachers spoke out against a plan to reopen the schools this fall, calling it too vague and dangerous with 30 percent of families already deciding to not have their children return in person.

They questioned why schools are reopening at full capacity when restaurants have limited seating and bars remain closed.

Many worried that students wouldn’t be able to follow the guidelines and could get sick or bring the coronavirus home to those at risk.

Of the 26 speakers during Tuesday’s public comment, all but a few called for more safety measures and fewer students

in the buildings to ensure everyone can properly social distance.

These safety concerns were tied to the need for in-person instruction, as many parents shared the struggles their children, especially those with special needs, had with distance learning this spring. It placed a burden on single-parent households or families where both parents are essential workers and had to leave the home, they said.

“No family should have to choose between health and wellness and a good education,” parent Amy Photopoulos said.

School officials said the plan presented Tuesday needed to be sent to the state this week and is just a draft. The details will be fine-tuned as they receive more guidance from the state and feedback from parents and staff, including the amount of students returning for in-person classes and how many will be taking the bus.

Virtual forums have already been scheduled, with one next week for staff and one on Aug. 5 for parents.

“We hear you, we absolutely do,” Board of Education Chairwoman Angela Chastain told the 300 or so watching Tuesday’s meeting online. “We share many of your concerns. This is fluid.”

Administrators and board members urged parents and staff to contact their legislators and Gov. Ned Lamont because the plan is tied to instructions coming from Hartford, including having options for 100 percent in-person learning, remote learning and a hybrid of the two.

Superintendent Kerry Parker said she would prefer to start with the hybrid model, but the state wants schools to fully reopen. Under thy hybrid model, half of the students are in the schools on Monday and Tuesday, no one on Wednesday to allow for a thorough cleaning and then the other half of the students in-person on Thursday and Friday. This would mean fewer students both on the buses and in the buildings.

“It’s not like we have a choice right now, but it addresses our needs,” Parker said.

Certain students might be able to attend in-person for all five days under the hybrid model, including those with high needs, English as a second language students and those who haven’t logged on to distance learning since March.

Lessons will most likely be live-streamed or recorded so students who are not in the physical classroom can follow along at home, though the actual technology and method is still being worked out. This would most likely apply to students whose families decide to not send them for the full reopening model, as well as any students not in the class for the hybrid.

In a recent survey, about 30 percent of parents said they would not send their children to school in-person in the fall. Some parents asked for a new survey on Tuesday, saying they would change their answers after seeing this plan. However, some board members said more families might feel comfortable sending their children after hearing the details from school officials during these meetings. The school district will post photos and a question and answer session to its website to help educate parents on the plan.

New Milford school officials are planning class sizes around 70 percent in-person attendance, which will mean 11 to 13 students in each class, allowing for desks to be 6 feet apart, though nonessential furniture will have to be taken out of some of the classrooms to make it possible.

Other physical changes include relocating some nurses offices so there can be an isolation space and better ventilation, which is an issue for some of the older schools in town.

Everyone will be required to wear face coverings on the bus and in school, though staff are considering ways to get classes outside to offer breaks from wearing them at points in the day. The district already ordered enough personal protective equipment to last the first quarter.

School officials and teachers are also looking at how activities can be offered safely with some of the biggest questions remaining around the music programs.

The school board also approved nearly $1.1 million in expenses to prepare for the school year amid the coronavirus, with the bulk of the costs for technology. The money for it ultimately comes from savings in prior school years, though the town is fronting some of it while the audit wraps on the most recent fiscal year.