Andover Superintendent: 'Working Towards Late April' Full Return

ANDOVER, MA — Andover officials are "working towards late April as our marching orders" for a full return to in-person learning, interim Superintendent Claudia Bach wrote in a letter to the school community Thursday.

Bach wrote to address concerns from parents that followed another letter she wrote Monday. That letter sparked a letter-writing campaign calling for a clear target date for return and a survey of interest in returning to full-time in-person learning.

"In several recent meetings with parents, I have said that students, teachers and parents all want to return to school fully in-person," Bach wrote. "Perhaps my recent letter failed to communicate my strong commitment to that goal, and if so, I offer my sincere apologies."

Principals and administrators are planning for "Stage 2," small increases in in-person learning, and "stage 3," a full return to pre-COVID in-person learning, Bach said. Officials are currently aiming for late April as the target for having all students in-person five days per week, but they are planning for the "real possibility" that a state or federal mandate will change that timeline.

The original letter said that full return would not occur until there is herd immunity through vaccination. Bach removed that phrase from the chart laying out the three stages, replacing it with "to respond to a mandate or change in guidelines."

Officials want full return to happen before late April, Bach wrote.

" I honestly don’t know how feasible that goal will be if we don’t receive stimulus funding and a relaxing of our current mitigation protocols especially social distancing of 6 feet during lunch/snack times," she wrote, emphasis hers. "And, I still must ensure, as many of you have urged me to do, that the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff be our first priority as we proceed. So, the chart reflects that should there be a sudden surge because of the more contagious deviant strains or some other serious issue, we will step back to a previous stage."

Schools are planning "to move to STAGE 2 as soon as possible," Bach wrote.

She will give more updates and seek more feedback from the community, she said.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.