Peabody Chooses Hybrid School Reopening Plan

PEABODY, MA — Peabody Public School will offer a mix of in-person and remote learning for students in all grades when schools reopen next month.

A split school committee made the decision Tuesday, with Mayor Ted Bettencourt stepping in to break a 3-3 tie among the board's elected members. Jarrod Hochman, Brandi Carpenter and John Olimpio joined Bettencourt, who chairs the school committee, in voting for the hybrid plan.

"I weighed this position not only as mayor and as the School Committee chair, but also as a parent of four children," Bettencourt said.

The approved plan offers more in-person learning than the recommendation from Superintendent Josh Vadala, which called for a remote start to the school year for high school students. The plan's approval comes even as state officials labeled Peabody a "yellow," or moderate, risk coronavirus community.

Plan Highlights

In June, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education charged school districts across the state with developing three plans for reopening in the fall: one that would involve full-time, in-person learning, one that would involve full-time, remote learning, and a third, hybrid model combining remote and in-person learning. Of the Massachusetts school districts that have approved reopening plans so far, about 70 percent have some form of in-person learning.

Under state guidelines, Peabody would move to a fully-remote model if its state coronavirus risk designation drops to red. The city would have to move back to yellow for 14 days before the school system could decide to return to the hybrid model.

Under the Peabody reopening plan approved Tuesday:

• Students will return to school on Sept. 16.
• Pre-K and kindergarten students would attend school for half a day, four days per week, with morning and afternoon cohorts.
• Students in grades 1 through 8 would attend school in-person two days per week, and participate in remote learning sessions on the other days.
• The biggest departure from Vadala's plan was to start in a hybrid model for high school students. Vadala had called for a remote start for high school students.
• All parents will have the option of a fully-remote learning plan for their children if they are not comfortable sending kids to school.

Reaction to the Decision

Tuesday's meeting was the first in-person meeting of the school committee since Gov. Charlie Baker's emergency order in March. More than 300 people watched the meeting on Peabody TV's Facebook page.

Hochman led the push for opening with in-person learning, noting there had been no reported coronavirus-related deaths of people under the age of 20 in Massachusetts since the first Massachusetts COVID-19 death was reported on March 20. "To shut down public education with the data that we have is not appropriate," he said.

Mary Henry, the president of the Peabody Federation of Teachers, said teachers are worried about the spread of COVID-19 from children to adults. The union also has other concerns, including whether building ventilation systems are capable of keeping teachers and students safe.

School committee member Andrew Arnotis said the plan the board ultimately approved was a "logistical nightmare."Arnotis, along with Joseph Amico and committee vice chair Beverly Griffin Dunne were the "no" votes, with all three saying the plan did not have enough safety nets in place.

"What we decide tonight is not only going to impact our parents and students, it's going to impact the whole community," Griffin Dunne said. A spike following the reopening of schools would "have dramatic effects on our community."

Many parents who spoke at Tuesday's meeting supported the decision to offer in-person learning, especially for high school students. They also cited problems with the remote learning system that was abruptly implemented in the spring.

Dave Copeland covers Peabody and other North Shore communities for Patch. He can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).