Fairfield Schools Plan For Uncertain Future Amid Coronavirus

FAIRFIELD, CT — As the weeks stretch on and uncertainty about the new coronavirus outbreak continues, Fairfield schools are trying to plan for a future filled with unknowns.

The Board of Education on Tuesday discussed the logistics of how to end the school year when educators, who have been teaching remotely since March to prevent transmission of the virus, don’t know when or if students will return to their classrooms.

“I think there’s a growing sense that we’re in this for the long haul,” Superintendent Mike Cummings told the board during the meeting, held via teleconference.

Schools across Connecticut are scheduled to reopen May 20, but Gov. Ned Lamont has said that date could be extended. Cummings said the district is planning for multiple scenarios of how school buildings could reopen, including what to do if a limit is placed on how many people can be in a school or the district reopens buildings in the fall only to close them again in a month due to the virus.

“We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves,” he said.

Board member Jeff Peterson noted that some parents may continue to keep their children at home even after schools reopen. Cummings responded that the district will look to the state for guidance on that possibility and consider how to provide instruction for students who choose to stay home.

“I think that very much may be our world for a while,” Cummings said.

Officials are also discussing whether to use letter grades for remote learning, or if the district will switch to a pass-fail system or allow students to count only one quarter’s grades for the second half of the school year, Cummings said in response to a question from board member Jennifer Maxon-Kennelly.

The board did make some concrete changes Tuesday regarding the rest of the school year. With the primary election moved to August, April 28 will now be a regular school day and there will instead be no school May 11.

May 26 will no longer be a professional development day, but there will be professional development instead of classes on May 1, May 15 and May 29. June 17 will be the last day of school as well as graduation day for Fairfield Ludlowe and Fairfield Warde high school seniors.

Cummings noted the 2019-2020 school year will end after 175 school days, five fewer than the state would typically allow. Gov. Ned Lamont has waived the 180-day requirement in light of the virus outbreak. As of Wednesday, there were 22,469 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus statewide and 333 confirmed cases in Fairfield, according to state data. As of Tuesday, 37 town residents had died after contracting the virus.

“We just have to put people first,” Cummings said. “… It’s a struggle for all of us.”

Cummings also said graduating seniors had expressed a strong preference for an in-person graduation event instead of a virtual one.

“We want to honor the seniors,” he said, suggesting the event could take place after June 17.