Newton Schools Gathering 'Key Ingredients' For More In-Person

NEWTON, MA — Just two weeks after the high schools opened to hybrid learning, the district is setting its sights on planning for a full reopening.

"The data tells us that our schools can operate safely with the health and safety measures currently in place," Newton Superintendent David Fleishman said in an email. "This includes physical distancing, which is the primary barrier to increasing in-person days both from a classroom and transportation perspective."

Last month Newton city councilors and a group of residents pushed the mayor for specific action to reopen schools to in person learning.

Fleishman said his department is unclear on the impact of relaxing any of the safety measures in place, as he has not yet received any specific guidance at the local, state, or federal level indicating it is safe to do so.

"Changing these health and safety measures requires thoughtful discussion with all stakeholders in the school community," he said. This is the work that will begin next week with the medical advisory group.

In the meantime, we are taking other steps to facilitate additional in-person learning and full return to school.

The district is in the process of finishing a ventilation project that aimed to remediate, improve, and enhance learning spaces across all school buildings.

At the state level the district's professional associations is advocating for vaccinations for faculty and staff. And at the district level, his offices is preparing to implement surveillance testing using the pool testing methodology in the next few weeks.

"We anticipate that improved ventilation, access to vaccinations and implementation of regular testing will be important tools that facilitate our full return to school," Fleishman said.

President Joe Biden has said he plans to distribute at least 100 million vaccines during his first 100 days in the White House and will seek to reopen most of the nation's schools over the same period, which would have school districts reopen in May.

"For me, reopening our schools full-time is an urgent priority," Fuller said in her state of the city speech Wednesday night. "I will do everything I can from City Hall to not just open fully in September but also to help students this spring who want to be in person more."

Fuller echoed Fleishman saying that she expected as the weekly pool testing rolls out in a few weeks along with ventilation upgrades in school buildings and as educators and staff get vaccinated, "the key ingredients [will all be] in place for more in-person teaching and learning."

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.