MA School Building Guidance: Classes Become Cohorts

BOSTON — The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education continues to roll out more recommendations for the reopening of schools in Massachusetts. Thursday's recommendations were focused on facilities and operations, including class size.

Masks were on the top of the list. Masks will be required for students in second grade and up and strongly encouraged for kindergarten and first grade. DESE suggested having a space in all schools for mask breaks, which should be outdoors if possible and give students space to remain 6 feet apart. Students should get two mask breaks per day, but more breaks can be allotted to younger children.

DESE recommends dividing students into cohorts, which are self-contained groups made up of students who are mainly in the same classes, on similar schedules, or ride the bus together. The cohort system is meant to limit interaction.

"This means that if there is a positive COVID-19 case in the school, fewer individuals will have interacted with that person," DESE guidance reads.

For cohorts to work, students should have assigned seats in class, on the bus and during meals, the guidance reads.

Ventilation in schools was another big focus — DESE suggested using as much outdoor air as possible instead of recirculated air throughout buildings. The emphasis on outdoor air could mean changes to some buildings' HVAC systems.

"For buildings that have facility-wide HVAC systems, it is likely that you will also have a contact or contract with experts to help maximize ventilation and filtration," DESE guidance says.

Opening windows and doors is a viable option, according to DESE, but in rooms with no windows or HVAC system, DESE suggests using them only for storage.

Another change that could be adopted, albeit seasonally, is outdoor classes and lunches. DESE suggests getting creative with the classroom experience and moving kids outside.

"Some jurisdictions have considered tents, platforms, and other not-permanent structures in spaces adjacent to buildings, such as courtyards, play areas and parking lots," the guidance reads.

Schools may also consider "off-campus" spaces like community and municipal buildings to hold classes. Reconfiguring spaces inside schools was another suggestion and includes adding temporary walls to buildings to create smaller classrooms where those cohorts can stay distant from the larger student body.

Medical waiting rooms will be another addition to facilities and act as a space separate from the school nurse's office. It will be used as a holding space for students showing COVID-19 symptoms until they can be picked up by a parent. The medical waiting room should be big enough to fit several students, 6 feet apart, with proper ventilation and a bathroom, according to DESE.

See the full guidance below:

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