Medford Developing 3 Plans For Upcoming School Year

MEDFORD, MA — The Medford Public Schools will develop three separate plans for the 2020-21 school year. These will outline the possibility of full in-person learning with safety requirements; full remote learning; and a hybrid model that blends in-person learning with remote learning.

The plans are being developed in accordance with the initial fall reopening guidance, which requires students above the first grade to wear face coverings and has all students likely eating meals in their classrooms to avoid the possible spread of the coronavirus. It also requires adults to wear masks and mandates desks be at least three feet apart and facing the same direction.

The guidelines do not require daily temperature-taking or COVID-19 testing. They also don't limit class sizes, leaving it up to educators to determine how many children can be taught safely with social distancing.

Schools must plan for remote and in-person learning and require new safety measures — including face coverings, hand-washing and more — but there is no target date yet for when students will return to class this fall.

The Medford Public Schools will establish working groups in the coming days and weeks to address community concerns, Assistant Superintendent Peter Cushing said. Cushing highlighted some of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's findings:

• Evidence suggests schools have not played a significant role in COVID-19 transmission and that children, particularly younger children, are less likely than adults to be infected with COVID-19.

• Current evidence supports a safe in-person return to school with implementation details varying for elementary schools (including pre-kindergarten programs), middle schools, and high schools.

• Among the most effective preventive measures – when used consistently and in combination – are masks/face coverings, physical distancing, handwashing, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

• Students in grade 2 and above are required to wear a mask/face covering that covers their nose and mouth.

• A minimum physical distance of three feet has been established when combined with the other measures outlined in this list of safety requirements.

• Schools are required to designate a COVID-19 related isolation space that is separate from the nurse’s office or other space where routine medical care is provided.

The district is awaiting guidance from the MIAA before it decides on the fall sports season.